Surgical menopause can worsen insomnia

While insomnia is one of the most common symptoms of menopause, undergoing surgical menopause is likely to worsen the sleep disorder, warns a new study.

Surgical menopause is often accompanied by more psychological and physical difficulties and nearly 20 per cent of post-menopausal women reported sleep disturbances.

Research has linked insomnia to high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, diabetes and other ailments.

"Early surgical menopause is known to be associated with more severe menopause symptoms," said JoAnn Pinkerton from the University of Virginia in the US.

"That is why it is important to assess sleep quality in women after surgery that leads to menopause, because insomnia and disrupted sleep can cause fatigue, mood changes and lower quality of life," Pinkerton added.

For the study, published in the journal Menopause, the team examined more than 500 post-menopausal women.

The findings showed that women in the surgical menopause group reported facing extreme sleep troubles, especially for sleep duration and habitual sleep efficiency compared with women in the natural menopause group.

In addition, women who underwent surgical menopause were found to be more than twice as likely to have insomnia.

The increased severity of menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats can disrupt sleep in a woman's life when sleep problems are already an issue.

--IANS

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