International archives of occupational and environmental healthNov 3, 2018

Insomnia related to menstrual cycle in new nurses working shifts over 12 months

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 4, 2026

Abstract

Insomnia is associated with a 3.05-fold increase in the prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularity among newly-employed shift-working nurses.

A total of 287 nurses were followed for 12 months to examine the relationship between insomnia and menstrual cycle irregularity.
Insomnia was linked to a 2.05-fold increase in the odds of newly developing menstrual cycle irregularity compared to those without insomnia.
As insomnia severity increased, both the incidence and prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularity also tended to increase.
The findings suggest that insomnia may play a significant role in menstrual dysfunction among shift workers, in addition to circadian rhythm disruptions.

Simplified

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate whether insomnia among newly-employed shift-working nurses is associated with menstrual cycle irregularity.

METHODS: We followed 287 nurses employed between 2015 and 2016 for 12 months. An Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was completed to determine levels of insomnia 6 months after beginning work. At baseline and at 12-month follow-up, menstrual cycle information was obtained using clinical interviews. We analyzed baseline data separately by prevalence (participants with menstrual irregularity, n = 287) and incidence (participants with no reported menstrual irregularity, n = 238).

RESULTS: In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, including age, body mass index, and physical activity, insomnia was associated with a 2.05-fold increase in the odds of newly developing menstrual cycle irregularity compared with not having insomnia [odds ratio (OR) 2.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-3.77]. Insomnia was associated with a 3.05-fold increase in the prevalence of menstrual cycle irregularity compared with not having insomnia (OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.81-5.13). As the ISI score increased, both the incidence and prevalence odds of menstrual cycle irregularity tended to increase.

CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia can induce menstrual cycle irregularity among nurses working shifts, and insomnia may have an important role in the pathway from shift work to menstrual dysfunction, aside from the possible effects of circadian rhythm disruption.

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Insomnia related to menstrual cycle in new nurses working shifts over 12 months

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