Insomnia and Circadian Rhythms of Melatonin in Menopausal Women

Abstract

The aim of the review is to analyze literature data about sleep homeostasis and the role of the one of circadian system key elements – melatonin – in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle in women in menopause. It was shown that the prevalence and structure of sleep disorders depends on the menopausal phase. It was revealed that the melatonin content in the body, determined in various biological media (blood, saliva, urine), depends on age, sex, race, and chronotype. It was shown that morning melatonin can be used as a biological marker for determining the chronotype. Most studies indicated a decrease in melatonin level with aging. Moreover, women have lower melatonin level than men. In case of insomnia, lower melatonin level was found, although the results of the studies are ambiguous. The shift in the peak of hormone secretion in the early morning hours was described in menopausal women. Also, the dependence of melatonin circadian rhythm on the menopausal phase was revealed, which determines different approaches to insomnia therapy. We revealed the association of melatonin secretion circadian rhythms with Clock 3111T/C gene polymorphism in Caucasian patients with insomnia, which allows considering 3111T allele as risky in the formation of melatonin circadian rhythm disturbances in these patients.

Proportion and Characteristics of Insomnia among Lecturers Continuing Postgraduate Education at the Faculty of Medicine Udayana University

“…This is related to hormonal factors, especially during menopause, the risk is 1.85 times higher due to a decrease in the hormone serotonin, serotonin receptor activity, and tryptophan levels so that women tend to be more prone to depression and anxiety. [17,18] This is assumed because there are more male than female subjects who meet the eligibility criteria and are willing to be research subjects.…”

Melatonin and cardiovascular disease: from mechanisms of action to potential clinical use (literature review)

“…doi:10.15829/1728880020212892 больше, чем днём [11]. У здоровых людей уровень мелатонина начинает повышаться вечером, совпадая со снижением освещенности и достигая максимума в середине ночи, постепенно снижаясь к утру [12]. Долгое время мелатонин воспринимался исключительно как вещество, эффективное в лечении нарушений биологических ритмов, и для нормализации сна.…”

“…Считается, что на выработку мелатонина влияют такие факторы как пол, возраст, время года и некоторые заболевания. Известно, что его уровень у пожилых женщин выше, чем у пожилых мужчин, а его выработка у человека зимой выше, чем летом [12].…”