Your Health

Insomnia: A Key But Seldom Discussed Symptom In Menopausal Women

Posted 12/3/2010

According to a recent survey, insomnia can be a problem for many women experiencing menopause.

(NAPSI) - Lack of sleep can be a nightmare for women experiencing menopause. That’s one of the key findings of a recent survey of more than 900 women who experienced sleep problems during menopause. The survey, sponsored by Red Hot Mamas North America and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., showed that lack of sleep affects multiple areas of their lives, including work, relationships, intimacy and even parenting.

The survey also revealed that oftentimes, women don’t communicate their symptoms to their healthcare professional. Unfortunately, the lack of communication may deprive women of proper advice and treatment related to their insomnia.

“It is extremely common for women to experience insomnia during menopause,” said Jo Anne Turner, Adult Nurse Practitioner. “Unfortunately, a gap in communication often persists among women and their primary healthcare professionals, potentially causing the condition to go undiagnosed and untreated. The results of this survey confirm that we, as healthcare professionals, should not assume patients are telling us everything about their sleep.”

In fact, 62 percent of the women surveyed said they have not talked to their healthcare professionals about the symptoms of insomnia they’ve experienced during menopause. Of the women who did talk to their healthcare professional (38 percent), 92 percent indicated that they had to initiate the conversations themselves.

In addition, 76 percent of the women surveyed said that their insomnia during menopause moderately to significantly impacted their overall quality of life. Women noted that they experienced daytime drowsiness or fatigue, irritability and difficulty concentrating on certain tasks, including their jobs.

Notably, the women also indicated that their personal and romantic relationships suffered as a result of their insomnia during menopause, with nearly 34 percent noting that their intimacy with their husband or partner had been affected.

“One irritating symptom of menopause that is commonly overlooked is insomnia,” said Karen Giblin, president of Red Hot Mamas North America. “Women have trouble falling asleep, wake up in the middle of the night, and the next day find themselves exhausted.”

The study was conducted by Manhattan Research and was sponsored by Red Hot Mamas North America and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

For more information on the link between menopause and insomnia and to view additional statistics from the survey, visit www.TakeBackYourSleep.com.