Climacteric symptoms and sleep quality

Objective: To evaluate the effect of climacteric vasomotor symptoms on slee p quality measured by self-report and polysomnography in postmenopausal wom en. Methods: Seventy-one healthy postmenopausal women were recruited, of whom 6 3 completed the study. Each subject recorded climacteric symptoms and subje ctive sleep quality for 14 days. Sleep quality was evaluated objectively by all-night polysomnography using the static charge-sensitive bed. Results: During polysomnography, a high frequency of climacteric vasomotor symptoms was not associated with changes in sleep latency, percentage of sl eep stages, number of arousals, sleep efficiency, or total sleep time. Howe ver, a high frequency of climacteric vasomotor symptoms (range 0-8.9, r =.6 0, P < .001), somatic symptoms (range 0-5.0, r = .25-.44, P < .05), and men tal symptoms (range 0-5.0, r = .41-.51, P < .001) was related to impaired s ubjective sleep quality. In stepwise regression analysis, 32% of the impair ment in subjective sleep quality was explained by vasomotor symptoms (P < . 001), 14% by palpitations (P < .001), and 4% by mood instability (P = .029) . High body mass index predicted impaired objective sleep quality, such as prolonged latencies to stage-2 sleep (r = .27, P = .031) and slow-wave slee p (r = .51, P = .003) and decreased oxygen saturations (r = -.54, P <.001). Older women had decreased sleep efficiency (r = -.27, P = .030) and lo ver oxygen saturations (r = -.36, P = .004). Serum estradiol level had only a minor effect on objective sleep quality. Conclusion: Impaired subjective sleep quality associated with climacteric v asomotor symptoms did not manifest as abnormalities in polysomnographic ste ep recordings. Body mass index and age appeared to have the strongest effec t on objective sleep quality. (C) 1999 by The American College of Obstetric ians and Gynecologists.