Insomnia is a difficulty falling to sleep or staying asleep that lasts for at least a month. Even on nights of uninterrupted sleep, you tend to wake up not feeling refreshed. When you go to bed, the cycle starts all over again. Most cases of insomnia are linked to caffeine, alcohol, anxiety or stress, but hormonal changes can also affect your sleep cycle, so a progesterone deficiency can sometimes lead to insomnia.
Menopause
Most cases of progesterone deficiency are related to hormonal changes associated with menopause. As you get older, the ovaries begin to produce less estrogen and progesterone. At the same time, the surge of progesterone normally seen after ovulation steadily declines; with fewer and fewer viable eggs, you no longer need this hormone to prepare the body for pregnancy.
Insomnia
As you move into menopause -- a period called perimenopause -- you begin to experience some of the more common symptoms of this stage in life. One potential side effect of the hormonal changes is insomnia. Insomnia can be the result of hot flashes. The decline in reproductive hormones can disrupt the hypothalamus, which acts as the body's thermostat. This causes your internal temperature to rise and disrupts your sleep. However, some women experience sleep disruptions even without hot flashes, so your sleep cycle could be directly affected by the imbalance of reproductive hormones, including progesterone.
Treatment
Treatment for menopause relies heavily on estrogen therapy. But progesterone also can minimize the severity of hot flashes, thereby treating the associated sleep disruptions. However, one problem with progesterone is the potential for breast cancer recurrence. While much is known about estrogen therapy and the increased risk of breast cancer recurrence, researchers are still uncertain if progesterone has the same effect on hormone-receptive forms of the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
Recommendation
Replacing progesterone may improve your insomnia, according to the Taylor Medical and Aesthetic Group. Progesterone appears to have a calming effect on the body, helping you to get a good night's sleep. Talk to your doctor to determine if this form of treatment is right for you. Your doctor might prescribe something else entirely treat your sleep disruption. If so, follow his orders and keep him abreast of the outcome.
