0317 Interaction of Sleep and Emotion Across the Menstrual Cycle

Abstract

Introduction: Women experience increased risk for sleep and affective disorders compared to men, attributed in part to monthly oscillations in sex hormones. Emotional functioning worsens during the perimenstrual phase. There is increasing evidence that sleep continuity also decreases during this phase. Thus, this study examined the interactive effects of sleep and menstrual phase on emotion across two menstrual cycles in healthy women. Method(s): Participants (N=51, 43% Caucasian) aged 18-35 (m=23.67) completed actigraphy and daily sleep/emotion diaries over two menstrual cycles (m days=51.29). Cycles were identified via date of menses and urinary ovulation detection, and coded into four phases: perimenstrual, mid-follicular, periovulatory, and mid-luteal. The perimenstrual phase was defined the 3 days prior to and the 3 days following menses onset. Variables included diary and actigraphic total wake time (TWT), daily ratings of positive (happy, calm, enthusiastic) and negative (angry, afraid, sad) affect using a 9-point scale. Relationships between phase, sleep, and emotion were estimated using multistep hierarchical linear modeling. Pandemic-related stress and daily US and region-specific COVID-19 case counts were included as covariates in adjusted models. Result(s): Mean menstrual cycle length was 28.61+/-2.69 days. Menstrual phase was first entered into models as predictors for sleep and emotion variables independently. The perimenstrual phase positively predicted anger (p