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Relation between Sleep and Menstrual Cycle.

Relation between Sleep and Menstrual Cycle.

A study states that for healthy living, a person requires 8 to 9 hours of sleep. But adolescents only get 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep or less. It is because of late-night study, work, or binge-watching entertainment shows and movies on TV, laptops, or Smartphones. Lack of sleep can give rise to various sleep-related diseases, namely:

  • Insomnia
  • Narcolepsy
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Parasomnias

The sleeping pattern of women changes during the Menstruation Cycle. Women are likely to experience worse sleep than men due to the hormonal changes during Periods. Women go through PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome), where they share many physical and emotional changes. Disruptive changes before periods can lead to PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder). Women experiencing PMS and PMDD face sleep disturbances. Sometimes women can get very little sleep, and sometimes they can sleep excessively due to feeling tired and exhausted. However, phases of the Menstrual Cycle also affects the sleeping pattern of women.

Effects of Menstrual Cycle on Sleep:

During PMS:

Women’s bodies contain a hormone, namely Progesterone. For women suffering from PMS, the progesterone level are low, due to which they experience an increase in sleeping problems. No or low quality of rest can affect the level of concentration, mood, and energy level that cumulatively affects working the whole day of women.

The initial start of Menstrual Cycle:

When the menstruation cycle starts, there can be many changes in the sleeping pattern of women. When the menstrual cycle begins, women face cramps, headaches, digestive problems, and other body discomforts. Lack of rest makes women feel asleep the whole day; hence, making it more challenging for women to handle the menstruation cycle.

Irregular Periods:

Irregular periods can trigger sleep problems. Women who suffer from dysmenorrhea are likely to get less rest. Women who get periods after 2-3 months can experience more period cramps during the menstruation cycle. Irregular periods lead to hormone level irregularity during the menstruation cycle, but it also affects the entire process. Cramps during periods trigger the estrogen level that increases the body temperature in the bed. Hence it reduces REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. 

Hormones:

A woman’s body produces two main hormones, namely estrogen, and Progesterone. Estrogen plays a vital role during the menstruation cycle, which helps to create a woman’s egg and adrenal glands, and fat tissue. On the other side, Progesterone helps to maintain pregnancy. This hormone is produced in a woman’s egg, adrenal glands, and placenta. During periods, there is an increase in the progesterone level that helps make the body for pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, the level of progesterone hormone will reduce and shed the uterine lining; hence the period starts. 

Bleeding lowers the progesterone levels, which is why women find difficulty in sleeping during Premenstrual Syndrome. Soon after the end of the period, the progesterone level will slowly rise, which will help to normalize the rest. 

Summing up:

A person needs 8-9 hours of tight sleep for healthy living. But women have to go through sleepless nights due to the menstruation cycle. Fluctuations in hormones during menses don’t allow women to have a night of sweet sleep. Lack of sleep during periods makes it difficult for women to handle the menstruation cycle: period cramps, headache, digestion problems, fatigue is a symptom of PMS. For some women, these can be normal, but for some, it is these symptoms that are severe that need immediate treatment. 

References:

http://t.ly/IjQb

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