Insomnia During Menopause

Sleep disturbance is a prevalent health problem (1, 2, 3) that occurs more frequently in women than in men (2,4, 5, 6). Insomnia increases particularly as women approach and pass through menopause (7, 8, 9, 10). Insomnia in postmenopausal women, part of the climacteric syndrome, can occur, on the one hand, in association with hormonal changes (11,12); on the other hand, women are more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders, such as major depression and anxiety disorders, which are also correlated with insomnia (5,13). Organic sleep disorders such as sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) resulting from a decrease of sex hormones in menopause may play an important role as well (14).