This study was aimed to examine the relationship between sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms among Japanese female students. Additionally, we clarified which of the various perimenstrual symptoms were significantly associated with sleep quality.
The cross-sectional online survey using Google Forms of Japanese female students aged 20-25 years was conducted from November 8, 2022 to February 2, 2023. The Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J) was used to assess sleep quality. The participants were divided into two groups based on a cutoff value for PSQI-J, less than 6 points was defined as the normal sleep quality group, and more than 6 points was defined as the low sleep quality group. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to assess the severity of perimenstrual symptoms for two periods: premenstrual and during menstruation. We used 6 MDQ subscales comprising pain, water retention, autonomic reaction, negative affect, concentration, and behavioral change. Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the MDQ scores between two groups. The MDQ subscales that showed significant differences between the groups were used as independent variables, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the MDQ subscale that was strongly associated with sleep quality.
The survey was distributed among 750 participants, and 313 of them provided responses (response rate: 41.7%). After excluding 68, 132 were classified into the normal sleep quality group and 113 into the low sleep quality group. All total MDQ scores and some subscales were significantly higher in the low sleep quality group at each phase of the menstrual cycle (respectively p0.05). Among the MDQ subscales, “pain” during menstruation were associated with sleep quality (p0.05).
In this study, we showed an association sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms. Sleep quality might have been associated with MDQ subscales “pain”. In primary dysmenorrhea, the cause of pain could be excessive uterine contractions caused by prostaglandins released from the menstrual blood and uterine mucosa during menstruation. It is possible that sleep quality might have been associated with pain during menstruation because the prostaglandin system is activated when adequate sleep is not achieved. Prospect for the future, we would like to further investigate the relationship between sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms by conducting an interventional study based on this survey’s results.
This study demonstrates that there is relationship between sleep quality and perimenstrual symptoms. These results may provide useful information for Japanese female students who suffer from perimenstrual symptoms.
Perimenstrual symptom
Female students
