Polysomnography in women: is there any difference between childbearing period and menopause?

Background Women may have a wide range of symptoms in the menopausal period, which includes vasomotor, mood changes, and disturbances of sleep. Disturbance of sleep leads to adverse health problems with poor quality of life. This study researched the comparison of polysomnographic parameters between menopausal and childbearing women. Patients and methods This study was carried out on 47 women (divided into two groups of premenopausal and postmenopausal), who attended for polysomnography in the Unit of Sleep in the Department of Chest Diseases in Menoufia University Hospital from the period of September 2021 to September 2022. After taking informed written consent, all participants were subjected to history taking, full examination, Epworth sleepiness scale, STOP-Bang questionnaire, and polysomnography. Results This study was carried out on 47 women who were divided into two groups: group I (29 participants) in menopause with an age of 58.9 ± 6.3 (mean±SD) and group II (18 participants) in the childbearing period with an age of 37.28 ± 8.064 (mean±SD). Polysomnographic parameters showed statistically significant differences between both groups regarding sleep latency (min) (P=0.026), sleep efficiency% (P=0.019), apnea–hypopnea index (P<0.001), O2 desaturation index, and lowest O2 saturation during sleep (P<0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusion Women in menopausal women experience more sleep disturbance, insomnia, and sleep breathing disorders than they did during the childbearing years. Women in this age group, therefore, require a more thorough assessment of sleep difficulties and other relevant variables.