Beneficial Effects of Estrogen Therapy on Quality of Sleep

Menopausal symptoms can include hot flushes, sweating, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and fatigue. Insomnia -- defined as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, or early morning awakening -- is frequent, and daytime fatigue is often attributed to insomnia. The extent to which sleep disturbances are a consequence of menopause is not well established. This Finnish crossover study randomized 71 postmenopausal women (mean age, 56) to two three-month periods of estrogen therapy or placebo and examined sleep disturbances. Estrogen was given in a patch or gel. All selected women had had a hysterectomy, so none were taking progestin, a potential confounder.

Estrogen replacement improved sleep quality, facilitated falling asleep, a…