Dreaming in Perimenopause
During perimenopause, the transitional period before menopause, hormone fluctuations can cause many changes, including changes to your sleep. Women may experience physical changes like night sweats and psychological symptoms during perimenopause, some of which could impact your dreams.
What are dreams?
Dreams are a state of consciousness during sleep characterized by “sensory, cognitive, and emotional occurrences” (Nichols, 2023). During the rapid eye movement or REM phase of sleep, breathing becomes rapid, irregular and shallower, the heart rate and blood pressure increase, and limbs may jerk randomly (Nichols, 2023). It is thought that dreams occur during this stage, which lasts for between 20-25% of total sleep, however some evidence has shown that dreams can occur in other stages of sleep (Nichols, 2023).
It is not known exactly what the function of dreams is. However, it has been speculated that dreams function to consolidate memories and learning tasks to streamline them during our conscious (awake) hours (Pace-Schott, 2013). It is also believed that dreams provide cognitive stimulation for real-life events that could occur, thus preparing us for potential threats or situations (Valli et al., 2005).
The role of estrogen and progesterone on sleep and dreams
The sex hormones estrogen and progesterone play an important role in the regulation of our sleep. Progesterone has mild sedative effects that can help with falling asleep (Lee et al., 2019).
Estrogen is linked to sleep in multiple ways. The first is that estrogen is involved in the synthesis of multiple neurotransmitters that regulate sleep phases such as norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and serotonin (Lee et al., 2019). Secondly, estrogen helps to control our internal body temperature, helping us to sleep undisturbed throughout the night (Lee et al., 2019). Estrogen also helps to stabilize the mood, providing an antidepressant effect which can improve quality of sleep (Lee et al., 2019).
An example of the importance of these hormones is that dreams are lengthier and more complex during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when progesterone and estrogen are both present (Natale, Albertazzi & Cangini, 2003). Another example is hot flashes and night sweats during perimenopause, which are caused by an inability to stabilize the internal body temperature due to low levels of estrogen (Haufe, Baker & Leeners, 2022).
Dreams in perimenopause
Estrogen and progesterone, both critical to sleep regulation, begin to fluctuate and decline in perimenopause. Decreasing levels of these hormones have impacts on sleep quality such as increasing sleep disturbances due to vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats), and higher incidences of insomnia (Haufe, Baker & Leeners, 2022).
Low levels of estrogen and progesterone increase the amount of time that the body spends in REM during sleep and reduces the amount of time spent in deep sleep (Dorsey, de Lecea & Jennings, 2020). This can lead to the more intense dreams that some women experience during perimenopause. The type of dreams that perimenopausal women experience are different, some may experience more nightmarish dreams, while other women have reported vivid dreams that have helped them gain perspective on their lives (Salako, 2023).
Additionally, increased stress and anxiety during perimenopause can contribute to more vivid, distressing dreams that can disrupt sleep and make it difficult to fall asleep after waking up. Among perimenopause women with insomnia, they are more likely to be able to recall their dreams, creating a cycle of remembering stressful dreams that prevent them from falling asleep the next night (Lee et al., 1993).
Conclusion
Hormonal changes, such as fluctuating and decreasing estrogen and progesterone levels, can have an impact on your dreams. Some women experience vivid or intense dreams during perimenopause, although more research needs to be done in this area to truly understand the link between perimenopause and dreams.
If you are having difficulty sleeping or having extremely distressing dreams, talking to a healthcare professional can help rule out other conditions and can help you get some symptom relief.
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Sources
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Haufe, A., Baker, F. C., & Leeners, B. (2022). The role of ovarian hormones in the pathophysiology of perimenopausal sleep disturbances: a systematic review. Sleep medicine reviews, 101710.
Lee, J. H., Bliwise, D. L., Lebret-Bories, E., Guilleminault, C., & Dement, W. C. (1993). Dream-disturbed sleep in insomnia and narcolepsy. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 181(5), 320-324.
Lee, J., Han, Y., Cho, H. H., & Kim, M. R. (2019). Sleep disorders and menopause. Journal of Menopausal Medicine, 25(2), 83-87.
Natale, V., Albertazzi, P., & Cangini, A. (2003). The effects of menstrual cycle on dreaming. Biological Rhythm Research, 34(3), 295-303.
Salako, L. (2023, August 4). Is the menopause causing my vivid dreams?. The Sleep Matters Club. https://www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club/does-menopause-cause-vivid-dreams.
Pace-Schott, E. F. (2013). Dreaming as a story-telling instinct. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 159.
Valli, K., Revonsuo, A., Pälkäs, O., Ismail, K. H., Ali, K. J., & Punamäki, R. L. (2005). The threat simulation theory of the evolutionary function of dreaming: Evidence from dreams of traumatized children. Consciousness and cognition, 14(1), 188-218.