Sleep, Health, and Metabolism in Midlife Women and Menopause: Food for Thought

Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. 2018 Dec;45(4):679-694. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2018.07.008. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Abstract

Sleep and metabolism are essential components of health. Metabolic health depends largely on individual's lifestyle. Disturbances in sleep health, such as changes in sleep patterns that are associated with menopause/reproductive aging and chronologic aging, may have metabolic health consequences. Sleep restriction and age-related changes in sleep and circadian rhythms may influence changes in appetite and reproductive hormones, energy expenditure, and body adiposity. In this article, the authors describe how menopause-related sleep disturbance may affect eating behavior patterns, immunometabolism, immunometabolic dysfunction, and associations between sleep and metabolic outcomes.

Keywords: Immunometabolism; Menopausal transition; Menopause; Metabolic health; Midlife; Sleep health.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adiposity / physiology*
  • Aging / metabolism
  • Aging / physiology
  • Appetite / physiology*
  • Energy Metabolism / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Menopause / metabolism
  • Menopause / physiology*
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / metabolism
  • Sleep Wake Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Weight Gain / physiology*
  • Women's Health*