Neurobiological and Hormonal Mechanisms Regulating Women's Sleep

Overview

Journal Front Neurosci

Date 2021 Feb 1

PMID 33519372

Citations 21

Authors

Alanna Dorsey

Luis De Lecea

Kimberly J Jennings

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sleep is crucial for optimal well-being, and sex differences in sleep quality have significant implications for women's health. We review the current literature on sex differences in sleep, such as differences in objective and subjective sleep measures and their relationship with aging. We then discuss the convincing evidence for the role of ovarian hormones in regulating female sleep, and survey how these hormones act on a multitude of brain regions and neurochemicals to impact sleep. Lastly, we identify several important areas in need of future research to narrow the knowledge gap and improve the health of women and other understudied populations.

Citing Articles

Different temporal relationship between sex hormones and sleep status in midlife women: a longitudinal cohort study.

Ma D, Zhang T Sex Med. 2025; 13(1):qfaf009.

PMID: 40041303 PMC: 11879248. DOI: 10.1093/sexmed/qfaf009.

Sex differences in reward-based operant conditioning performance and neurotransmitter changes following chronic sleep restriction stress in rats.

Zhang Y, Chen F, Yu M, Li Y, Chen S, Choudhary M Behav Brain Funct. 2025; 21(1):3.

PMID: 40022197 PMC: 11871611. DOI: 10.1186/s12993-025-00268-z.

Sleep and Brain Function at Menopause.

Garg R, Munshi A J Midlife Health. 2025; 15(4):221-224.

PMID: 39959736 PMC: 11824937. DOI: 10.4103/jmh.jmh_201_24.

Association of Sleep Duration With Serum Estradiol Concentrations Among American Men and Women: Evidence From NHANES 2013-2016.

Zhu Z, Wu S, Lin X, Wang C, Zhou X Int J Endocrinol. 2025; 2025:7863420.

PMID: 39957841 PMC: 11828656. DOI: 10.1155/ije/7863420.

Sleep disorders in rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Polak D, Korkosz M, Gula Z Rheumatol Int. 2025; 45(2):36.

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