Analyses of Menopause and Its Related Symptoms on Sleep Quality Using a Novel Wearable Sheet-Type Frontal Electroencephalography Sensor, Haru-1.

Objectives: Menopause affects sleep quality and contributes to depressive symptoms, but its precise impact on sleep remains unclear. To address this gap, we conducted detailed measurements of brain activity during sleep in pre- and postmenopausal women using a novel wearable sheet-type frontal electroencephalography (EEG) patch, Haru-1 (PGV Inc., Tokyo, Japan).

Methods: Hospitalized patients aged 30-50 years who had undergone bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, as well as volunteer participants aged 40-60 years who underwent EEG monitoring at home, were enrolled in the study. EEG recordings were obtained during sleep. Participants were assessed for menopausal symptoms using the Simple Menopausal Index (SMI) and for depressive symptoms using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Japanese version (QIDS-J). Sleep parameters were calculated to investigate the relationships between menopause, menopausal symptoms, depressive symptoms, and sleep characteristics.

Results: A total of 174 participants were recruited, and data from 126 participants were included in the final analysis. Among 126 analyzed participants (mean age: 46.3 ± 7.3 years; 36 premenopausal, 90 postmenopausal), postmenopausal women had lower sleep efficiency (78% vs. 88%; p = 0.0065) and longer sleep onset latency (20 minutes vs. 8 minutes; p = 0.0203). The presence of menopausal symptoms (SMI ≥51) correlated with shorter deep sleep (9 minutes vs. 26 minutes; p = 0.0367), and depressive symptoms (QIDS-J ≥6) were associated with prolonged wake after sleep onset (56 minutes vs. 36 minutes; p = 0.0242).

Conclusions: Menopause was associated with reduced sleep efficiency and increased sleep onset latency. Detailed EEG analyses may contribute to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of menopausal symptoms and their impact on sleep.