Just as women are more likely to be depressed and anxious, they are also more likely to suffer from sleep problems. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation and other experts, sleep problems are twice as common in women as they are in men, and insomnia and other related symptoms may begin when a girl gets her period.

PMS-related sleep problems include difficulty falling asleep, asleep, or restless sleep. But why does it happen?

Sleep is regulated by the brain hormones and can be by external stimuli, such as temperature, noise, and sunlight. of the sleep hormone melatonin are highest during the night, promotes sleep. Though there is limited research on women sleep, experts theorize that falling progesterone levels during or an increased sensitivity to hormonal fluctuations during cycle, may cause problems during sleep. However, there a lot of studies on women and sleep, or on PMS and sleep, to these theories.

In addition, women with PMS often suffer from conditions symptoms that cause sleep problems. For example, mood disorders, which are known to cause sleep problems, are a risk factor and high stress levels, also correlated with PMS, can cause problems with sleep. In other words, mood disorders and high stress levels associated with PMS.

PMS Disrupts Sleep

A 1998 telephone survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 70 percent of women reported that their sleep patterns were affected by premenstrual symptoms such as breast tenderness, bloating, and headaches. Young women without significant PMS complaints reported poor sleep quality in the three to six days before their periods and during four days of their menstrual cycles. It's common, in other words, to have trouble sleeping because of other PMS symptoms, and PMS does not have to be severe for sleep problems to occur. The study also found that women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle have elevated body temperature during sleep, women on oral contraceptives have reduced periods of deep sleep, and women with dysmenorrhea (painful periods) have significantly disturbed sleep quality before their periods.

There are simple steps to take to improve your sleep, such changing your diet to avoid caffeine and large meals before bed and avoiding naps during the day. Other tips for better sleep include:

• Establishing a regular bedtime routine

• Keeping your bedroom as dark as possible

• Unwinding before bedtime (Try relaxation techniques such as meditation.)

• Lowering the temperature (but keep it comfortable) of the room to promote deep sleep

• Seeing the sun (Get adequate exposure to natural light during the day.)

• Using the bedroom for sleeping and sexual activity only; not work or television