eskee
2005-01-29 03:22:54 UTC
Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2005 Feb;60(2):106-7.
Lack of sleep disturbance from menopausal hot flashes.
Freedman RR, Roehrs TA.
Wayne State School of Medicine, C. S. Mott Center, Detroit, Michigan.
It is widely believed that hot flashes arouse and waken women from
sleep, possibly leading to fatigue and impaired performance.
In this prospective survey, healthy women 46 to 51 years of age were
sent a questionnaire and interviewed to rule out those having sleep
disorders or physical or mental illness and those using drugs.
The electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, and chin electromyogram
were recorded during 3 consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory.
Hot flashes were measured by the sternal skin conductance technique.
Performance was assessed using a divided attention task, the
Psychomotor Vigilance Test, and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test.
The Profile of Mood States also was administered.The 11 premenopausal
cycling women in the study were significantly younger than the 8
postmenopausal women who lacked symptoms. They had significantly higher
estradiol levels than did the 12 postmenopausal women who were
symptomatic.
Symptomatic women had an average of 5.2 hot flashes per night, whereas
none occurred in the other 2 groups.
Hot flashes occurred during stage 2 sleep in 40% of cases and during
the waking state in 34%.
No sleep variables distinguished significantly between the 3 groups.
More than half (55%) of awakenings that occurred within 2 minutes of a
hot flash took place before the flash, 40% afterward, and 5%
simultaneously.
There were no significant differences between the 3 groups in
self-reported fatigue.
There also were no significant group differences in any of the
performance measures.
These findings fail to support the idea that hot flashes disturb sleep
in postmenopausal women. Past reports of sleep disturbance at the time
of menopause may reflect sleep disorders that, in the present study,
were screened out.
Lack of sleep disturbance from menopausal hot flashes.
Freedman RR, Roehrs TA.
Wayne State School of Medicine, C. S. Mott Center, Detroit, Michigan.
It is widely believed that hot flashes arouse and waken women from
sleep, possibly leading to fatigue and impaired performance.
In this prospective survey, healthy women 46 to 51 years of age were
sent a questionnaire and interviewed to rule out those having sleep
disorders or physical or mental illness and those using drugs.
The electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, and chin electromyogram
were recorded during 3 consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory.
Hot flashes were measured by the sternal skin conductance technique.
Performance was assessed using a divided attention task, the
Psychomotor Vigilance Test, and the Multiple Sleep Latency Test.
The Profile of Mood States also was administered.The 11 premenopausal
cycling women in the study were significantly younger than the 8
postmenopausal women who lacked symptoms. They had significantly higher
estradiol levels than did the 12 postmenopausal women who were
symptomatic.
Symptomatic women had an average of 5.2 hot flashes per night, whereas
none occurred in the other 2 groups.
Hot flashes occurred during stage 2 sleep in 40% of cases and during
the waking state in 34%.
No sleep variables distinguished significantly between the 3 groups.
More than half (55%) of awakenings that occurred within 2 minutes of a
hot flash took place before the flash, 40% afterward, and 5%
simultaneously.
There were no significant differences between the 3 groups in
self-reported fatigue.
There also were no significant group differences in any of the
performance measures.
These findings fail to support the idea that hot flashes disturb sleep
in postmenopausal women. Past reports of sleep disturbance at the time
of menopause may reflect sleep disorders that, in the present study,
were screened out.