Results from a survey of more than 900 women, who experienced sleep problems during menopause, shed light on the impact insomnia can have during this time in a woman’s life. The survey also revealed that for many women, insomnia during menopause is not proactively addressed by their health care provider (HCP) and that often women don’t communicate their symptoms to their HCP.
“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 health care providers, potentially causing the condition to go undiagnosed and untreated. The results of this survey confirm that we, as health care providers, should not assume patients are telling us everything about their sleep.”
In fact, 62% of the women surveyed said they have not talked to their HCP about the symptoms of insomnia they’ve experienced during menopause. Of the women who did talk to their HCP (38%), 92% indicated that they had to initiate the conversations themselves.
The study, sponsored by Red Hot Mamas North America and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc, showed that the sleep problems women experience during menopause affect multiple areas of their lives, including work, relationships, intimacy, and even parenting.
