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Sleep-Wake Patterns Among Postmenopausal Women

A 24-Hour Unattended Polysomnographic Study

^a Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
^b Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
^c Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla

Girardin Jean-Louis, Circadian Pacemaker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, 0667, La Jolla, CA 92093-0667 E-mail: gjeanlouis{at}ucsd.edu.

Decision Editor: William B. Ershler, MD

Background. Circadian sleep-wake profiles in postmenopausal women were examined to explore relationships between nocturnal and out-of-bed sleep.

Methods. Twenty-one home recordings were obtained with unattended polysomnography from women ranging from 56 to 77 years of age.

Results. While maintaining their daily routines, volunteers slept an average of 439 minutes throughout the 24-hour recordings. Ten percent of the accumulated sleep time was recorded out of bed.

Conclusions. Greater age was associated with more afternoon-evening sleep. Sleep was also frequently observed shortly after volunteers arose from bed in the morning.