Sleep problems tied to female infertility
Non-apnea sleep disorders may increase women's risk for fertility problems, a recent study suggests.
Previous research has linked sleep apnea with infertility. But the current study looked only at women with other types of sleep disorders, offering fresh evidence of the need for women to pay close attention to healthy habits that can help with sleep if they're trying to conceive, said lead study author Dr I-Duo Wang of the Tri-Service General Hospital and National Defense Medical Center in Taipei, Taiwan.
“Women of child-bearing age should sleep earlier, avoid night shift work or cellphone use before sleep,” Wang said by email. “Moreover, a healthy diet, regular exercise and a good lifestyle are important to prevent infertility.”
Wang and colleagues examined data on 16,718 women newly diagnosed with sleep disorders between 2000 and 2010 in Taiwan as well as a comparison group of 33,436 similar women who didn’t have sleep problems.
At the start of the study, women were about 35 years old, on average, although they ranged in age from 20 to 45.
After an average follow-up of about five years, 29 participants with sleep disorders had developed infertility, as had 34 women in the...