TOPLINE:
Oxytocin appeared to affect temper disturbances introduced on by the sleep disruptions related to the dramatic hormonal shifts within the postpartum interval in addition to menopausal states, shedding mild on oxytocin’s doubtlessly protecting function in these occasions of psychological well being vulnerability.
METHODOLOGY:
- Thirty-eight premenopausal girls took half in two 5-night inpatient sleep experiment protocols — one underneath a standard hormonal state and the opposite whereas present process estradiol suppression, mimicking the hormonal shifts of the postpartum and menopausal durations.
- After 2 nights of uninterrupted sleep, members have been subjected to sleep interruptions for the next 3 nights, with comparable sleep length in each situations.
- They have been assessed for serum oxytocin every night and for temper disturbances, utilizing the Profile of Mood States, every morning, in each estradiol states.
TAKEAWAY:
- In each estradiol states, sleep interruptions have been considerably related to elevated oxytocin ranges (imply, 28.7 pg/mL earlier than sleep interruption vs 36.4 pg/mL after; P = .002) and temper disturbances (5.5 vs 12.3; P = .0001).
- Meanwhile, increased oxytocin ranges earlier than sleep disruption have been related to reductions in temper disturbances the next day.
- Increases in temper disturbances ensuing from sleep disruptions have been additionally related to elevated oxytocin ranges the next day.
IN PRACTICE:
“Millions of women struggle with mood symptoms during reproductive transitions, yet treatments often focus narrowly on antidepressants or hormone therapy,” first writer Irene Gonsalvez, MD, affiliate psychiatrist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and teacher at Harvard Medical School, each in Boston, mentioned in a press assertion.
“Understanding oxytocin’s potential as a natural mood modulator could help us better support women’s mental health during these times,” she added.
The research confirmed that “oxytocin levels rise in response to stress-related sleep disruption and that women with higher oxytocin levels before disrupted sleep experienced less mood disturbance the next day,” Gonsalvez defined.
“These results point toward oxytocin as a potential biological buffer during periods of hormonal and emotional vulnerability.”
SOURCE:
The research was offered at ENDO 2025: The Endocrine Society Annual Meeting.
LIMITATIONS:
The authors famous that mechanistic research are wanted to raised perceive the path and causality of the consequences of oxytocin ranges, temper, and sleep disruptions.
DISCLOSURES:
The analysis was supported by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Connors Center WHISPR Award, the Dupont-Warren HMS Research Fellowship, and the National Institute on Aging.