Menstrual-phase-dependent Differences in Response to Sleep Loss

Menstrual-phase-dependent Differences in Response to Sleep Loss

This study is designed to assess how healthy premenopausal women respond to different patterns of sleep loss at different times in the menstrual cycle.

During a 1.5-week inpatient laboratory protocol, participants will undergo one of two parallel sleep conditions during either the follicular or luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (4 study arms total). Subjects will be randomly assigned to each study arm. During their time in the laboratory, biological samples (e.g., blood) will be collected for assessment of sex steroid hormones and other analyses. Sleep quantity and quality will be monitored and responses on neurobehavioral tests and surveys will be monitored for differences across conditions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Female
• 18-35 years old
• Regular menstrual cycle between 26-35 days in duration
• Not using any form of hormonal contraception for at least the prior 3 months
• Regular sleep patterns (7-9 hours/night)
• Not taking any medications or supplements
• Weight >110 lb
• BMI between 18.5 and 29.5 kg/m2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Primary sleep disorder
• History of shift work
• Transmeridian travel in the previous 3 months
• Presence of acute or chronic disease, including but not limited to: diabetes, metabolic disorders, psychiatric illness, reproductive disorders
• Current pregnancy, < 6 months postpartum, and/or breastfeeding
• Blood donation in the past 8 weeks
• Extreme morning or evening chronotype