PMS and Sleep

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Good Morning!

 

PMS and Sleep

 

Sleep is a basic human need, as important for good health as diet and

exercise. When we sleep, our bodies rest but our brains are active.

Sleep lays the groundwork for a productive day ahead. The National

Sleep Foundation (NSF) 1998 Women and Sleep Poll (WSP) found that the

average woman aged 30-60 sleeps only six hours and forty-one minutes

during the workweek.

 

Research has shown that a lack of enough restful sleep results in

tiredness, increased accidents, problems concentrating, poor

performance on the job and in school, and possibly, increased

sickness. Getting the right amount of sleep is vital, but so is the

quality of your sleep. Conditions unique to women, like the menstrual

cycle, pregnancy and menopause, can affect how well a woman sleeps.

This is because the changing levels of hormones (chemicals produced

by glands in the body) like estrogen and progesterone have an impact

on sleep. Understanding the effects of these hormones, environmental

factors and lifestyle habits can help women enjoy a good night's

sleep.

 

 

Understanding Your Monthly Cycle

Changes in women's bodies (and sometimes mood) occur at different

times in the menstrual cycle. For example, the WSP found that 50% of

menstruating women reported bloating that disturbed their sleep. On

average, these women reported disrupted sleep for two to three days

each menstrual cycle. These changes can be linked to the rise and

fall of hormone levels in the body.

 

The hormone progesterone, which rises after ovulation (when an ovary

releases an egg), may cause some women to feel more sleepy or

fatigued. However, poor quality sleep is more likely at the beginning

of the menstrual cycle (when bleeding starts). Hormones, of course,

are not the only factors that influence sleep. Stress, illness, diet

and lifestyle all play a part.

 

Women's sleep experiences vary greatly during the menstrual cycle.

Some women may not experience any changes in sleep. The average

menstrual cycle is 28 days, but may range from 18 to 40 days. The

typical 28-day cycle can be divided into three phases:

 

Before Ovulation (days 1-12): Typically, the period (bleeding or

menstruation) occurs for about five days. After the period ends, an

egg ripens in the ovary. During menstrual bleeding, women tend to get

less restful sleep than at other times. In the WSP, 36% said their

sleep was most disturbed during the first few days of their menstrual

periods.

 

Ovulation (days 13-14): An egg is released. If the egg is fertilized,

pregnancy occurs. Otherwise the cycle continues and a menstrual

period results in about 14 days.

 

After Ovulation (days 15-28): If pregnancy doesn't occur, the lining

of the uterine wall begins to break down; it is shed during the

menstrual period. Progesterone levels start off high at the beginning

of this phase, reaching their peak level around days 19-21. Then

levels begin to decrease toward the end of the phase.

 

Women may find it more difficult to fall asleep. This may be related

to the rapidly falling levels of progesterone. Premenstrual Syndrome

(PMS) symptoms may occur during the later portion of this phase

(starting about days 22-28). These include bloating, headaches,

moodiness, irritability and abdominal cramps. The most common sleep-

related problems reported by women with PMS are: insomnia (difficulty

falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early), hypersomnia

(sleeping too much), and daytime tiredness. A healthy sleeper spends

about 15-20% of his or her sleep time in deep sleep. Research

suggests that women with PMS experience less deep sleep (about 5% of

their total sleep) all month long.

 

 

Andrew Pacholyk, LMT, MT-BC, CA

Peacefulmind.com

Alternative medicine and therapies

for healing mind, body & spirit!