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Sleep Disruption in Postmenopausal Women

Thursday, July 18th, 2013

Do you experience difficulty sleeping? If so, then you are not alone. More than a third of individuals report that they face some difficulty sleeping that leaves them tired throughout the day, whether that is insomnia, discomfort during sleep, or patterns of sleeping and waking in the middle of the night. An individual might have difficulty sleeping for any number of reasons, whether it is simply the fact that they are too busy to get the rest that they need or whether it is the result of some more severe issue related to emotional distress or anxiety. However, a new study suggests that sleep difficulties might be heightened in postmenopausal women.   A person should receive between 71/2 and 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a day.

In this study, both premenopausal women and postmenopausal women were asked to keep a diary tracking their typical sleep patterns across a two-week period. The results showed that postmenopausal women did show a lessened ability to get the recommended amount of sleep throughout the night. When compared to these women’s workday and leisure day schedules, it also showed that postmenopausal women were more likely to lose sleep related to the stresses of their workday.  Consequently, postmenopausal women had less than 7 hours of sleep compared to their premenopausal counterparts who slept about seven and one-half hours.

It can be easy to brush off studies like these, or to think that you’ll simply make up the sleep later if you are one of those that regularly experiences sleep problems. However, there is more than enough evidence available to suggest that losing sleep could lead toward much bigger problems down the line. Despite the potential risks of going without sleep, insomnia and related issues are still one of the most underreported medical problems that many people, and especially women, face. Be sure that if you are experiencing sleep difficulties, you speak to your doctor about them—especially if these sleep difficulties are concurrent with any other life changes, whether they are medical or emotional.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in General health news, Hormone replacement therapy, Menopause | No Responses »
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Preterm Delivery May Help Identify Risks for Cardiovascular Health

Monday, July 15th, 2013

Do you experience difficulty sleeping? If so, then you are not alone. More than a third of individuals report that they face some difficulty sleeping that leaves them tired throughout the day, whether that is insomnia, discomfort during sleep, or patterns of sleeping and waking in the middle of the night. An individual might have difficulty sleeping for any number of reasons, whether it is simply the fact that they are too busy to get the rest that they need or whether it is the result of some more severe issue related to emotional distress or anxiety. However, a new study suggests that sleep difficulties might be heightened in postmenopausal women.   A person should receive between 71/2 and 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep a day.

In this study, both premenopausal women and postmenopausal women were asked to keep a diary tracking their typical sleep patterns across a two-week period. The results showed that postmenopausal women did show a lessened ability to get the recommended amount of sleep throughout the night. When compared to these women’s workday and leisure day schedules, it also showed that postmenopausal women were more likely to lose sleep related to the stresses of their workday.  Consequently, postmenopausal women had less than 7 hours of sleep compared to their premenopausal counterparts who slept about seven and one half hours.

It can be easy to brush off studies like these, or to think that you’ll simply make up the sleep later if you are one of those that regularly experiences sleep problems. However, there is more than enough evidence available to suggest that losing sleep could lead toward much bigger problems down the line. Despite the potential risks of going without sleep, insomnia and related issues are still one of the most underreported medical problems that many people, and especially women, face. Be sure that if you are experiencing sleep difficulties, you speak to your doctor about them—especially if these sleep difficulties are concurrent with any other life changes, whether they are medical or emotional.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Childbirth & delivery, General health news | No Responses »
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Breast Cancer Works the Night Shift

Thursday, June 28th, 2012

Cancer of all kinds have plagued humanity for some time, which is why researchers are working so hard to determine risk factors, treatments, and possible cures.  Breast cancer in particular has received a lot of attention because of its devastating effects on women.  Now, it seems that working the night shift may add one more risk factor for women when it comes to developing breast cancer.

Currently, breast cancer kills more women than any other cause and more than 1.3 million women are diagnosed with it each year.  Researchers have discovered possible risk factors like genetic mutations, late first pregnancies, and hormone therapy.  Environmental and lifestyle causes are also being explored, but have not yet been specifically identified.  In France though, a study by the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health looked at the careers of 3000 women and compared their breast cancer rates.  Shockingly, they found that women who worked the night shift were 30% more likely to develop breast cancer.  They believe this may be due to the disruption of the sleep cycle and circadian rhythms.  These processes, when disturbed, can negatively affect the nocturnal melatonin surge and its anti-carcinogenic effects, functioning of the biological clock genes that control cell proliferation, and/or the immune system.  Women who worked swing shift, switching on and off of at least three days of night shifts at a time, were even more likely to develop breast cancer than those who worked all night hours for each work night.

At a time when so many women suffer from breast cancer and when night work is on the rise, this study shows us yet again how important quality sleep is on a regular basis.  If you do have to work the night shift, make sure you have at least eight hours of time in a dark room to rest, where light does not disrupt your melatonin release.  It is imperative that we all take the time to recharge our bodies and minds, even if we feel we should be up and interacting with our families while they are awake.  When you work at night, both you and your family need to understand the health risks of not allowing yourself that sleep.  If you can sleep, you will enjoy many more healthy years with your family in the future than if you deny yourself that rest now.

 

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Women's health issues, Women's health news | No Responses »
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Sleep Yourself Thin

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

When you are a parent, you do not always get a lot of opportunity for sleeping.  You do not get a lot of time for yourself in general really.  You have work to take care of, children to manage, and somewhere in there, a body to consider.  The fact is though, with our busy American lifestyles, the health of our bodies simply seems to take a back seat.  Unfortunately, this has caused many of us to become overweight, or even worse, obese and diabetic.  A recent study shows though, that if we could all just find enough regular time to sleep, we might be able to stay slimmer and healthier in general.

Right now, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.  Even more concerning is how many of these people are progressing into diabetes.  The CDC cites diabetes as a health issue for 8.3% of Americans and a whopping 79 million show signs of prediabetes.  While poor diet and little to no exercise are obvious causes for such an epidemic, stress and sleep schedules also play a role.   A recent study by researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Medical School in Boston found that “lack of sleep or disrupted sleep patterns…may lead to an increased risk of diabetes and obesity.”  The study involved tracking the effects of disrupted sleep routines in participants by shifting their sleeping time from 10 hours a night, to just 5.6 hours per 24 hour period.  This sleep restriction and pattern disruption caused 32% of participants to have decreased insulin secretion when they ate and lower metabolic rates, which led to high blood sugar levels bordering on pre-diabetic.  If they had continued the study for a year, they estimated that these levels could have caused them to gain about 12.5 additional pounds of body weight in one year.  When you add these conclusions to the hectic lifestyle of working American parents, it is no wonder so many are struggling with their weight.

When we are young, we spend a lot of time fighting our parents over daily naps and early bed times, but once we grow up, we find it even harder to put ourselves to bed.  Perhaps this study will help us hardworking adults realize that it is no use staying up all night stressing about our busy lives, if it only gives us fewer nights to live.

 

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in General health news, Parenting, Women's health issues, Women's health news | No Responses »
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