Hot flashes have been known to wreak havoc in a woman’s sleep at midlife. Studies have often reported that sleep problems increase during the transition into menopause, reinforcing the idea that hot flashes are to blame. But even under controlled conditions in sleep laboratories, the connection between hot flashes and sleep disruption remains unclear, according to Harvard Women’s Health Watch.
A new study concludes that some of the sleep problems that women typically attribute to hot flashes may instead be caused by primary sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. The findings suggest that women may not be receiving appropriate treatment for their sleep difficulties.
The finding that half the women had primary sleep disorders, not just hot flashes, bears further investigation, notes the Harvard Women’s Health Watch. Sleep problems are often assumed to result from hot flashes, but treating hot flashes isn’t likely to resolve a serious underlying sleep disorder.
