Perimenopause typically begins in a woman’s early 40s and can last anywhere between four to eight years. During this phase, estrogen levels decrease, causing symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, tiredness, low sex drive, mood swings, and sleep disturbances. Previous studies have shown that about 47% of perimenopausal women experience sleep disorders. Amy Divaraniya, PhD, recently presented a study at the 2024 annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society that suggests a link between estrogen levels and sleep in perimenopausal women.
For the study, 503 perimenopausal women with an average age of 44 participated and used Oova’s at-home hormone monitoring perimenopause hormone kit to track their sleep patterns. The kit includes urine-based tests for key biomarkers such as luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and estrogen. Researchers found that participants who slept six to nine hours per night had higher estrogen levels compared to those who slept three to six hours. There were no significant differences in levels of other hormones like LH and PdG based on sleep duration. Divaraniya believes that understanding the correlation between estrogen levels and sleep disturbances could lead to interventions to improve the lives of women experiencing sleep difficulties during perimenopause.
The study findings suggest a potential pathway where low estrogen levels lead to higher cortisol levels, known as the stress hormone, which can cause difficulty sleeping and increased anxiety. Further research is needed to validate these findings and develop interventions aimed at improving sleep in perimenopausal women. Divaraniya plans to conduct similar analyses on other symptoms tracked on Oova’s platform to identify hormonal patterns. For now, she advises women experiencing sleep difficulties during the perimenopausal transition to start tracking their sleep hours and hormone patterns to better understand the possible correlations.
Sherry Ross, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN and Women’s Health Expert, emphasized the importance of studying sleep disruption in perimenopause and understanding the connection to estrogen fluctuations. She highlighted the need for more research with larger patient populations to address various symptoms of perimenopause, along with other variables like diet, exercise, stress, and medications. Ross believes that the time is now to take perimenopause seriously and explore treatment options to help women manage the challenges associated with this hormonal cycle transition.
