Sleep During Menopausal Transition: A 10-year Follow-Up

: Kalleinen N, Aittokallio J, Lampio L, Kaisti M, Polo-Kantola P, Polo O, Heinonen OJ, Saaresranta T

Publisher: American Sleep Disorders Association and Sleep Research Society

: 2021

: Sleep

: 0161-8105

: 1550-9109

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa283

: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa283

: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/52195399

Study Objectives
A 10-year observational follow-up study to evaluate the changes in sleep architecture during the menopausal transition.
Methods
Fifty-seven premenopausal women (mean age 46 years, SD 0.9) were studied at baseline and after a 10-year follow-up. At both time points, polysomnography (PSG) was performed, and the serum follicle-stimulating hormone (S-FSH) concentration was measured. Linear regression models were used to study the effects of aging and menopause (assessed as change in S-FSH) on sleep.
Results
After controlling for body mass index, vasomotor, and depressive symptoms, higher S-FSH level was associated with longer sleep latency (B 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07 to 0.83). Aging of 10 years was associated with shorter sleep latency (B −46.8, 95% CI: −77.2 to −16.4), shorter latency to stage 2 sleep (B −50.6, 95% CI: −85.3 to −15.9), decreased stage 2 sleep (B −12.4, 95% CI: −21.4 to −3.4), and increased slow-wave sleep (B 12.8, 95% CI: 2.32 to 23.3) after controlling for confounding factors.
Conclusions
This study suggests that PSG measured sleep of middle-aged women does not worsen over a 10-year time span due to the menopausal transition. The observed changes seem to be rather age- than menopause-dependent.

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