Relationship between objectively recorded hot flashes and sleep disturbances among breast cancer patients

Abstract

This study suggests that the speed and duration of hot flashes would contribute more importantly to sleep alterations than hot flash frequency. Sleep disturbances tend to occur simultaneously with hot flashes, suggesting that these two nocturnal symptoms are manifestations of a higher-order mechanism involving the central nervous system.

Magnitude of the impact of hot flashes on sleep in perimenopausal women

“…Thus, we considered an awakening occurring within one minute before the start of a rise in skin conductance to be associated with a hot flash. We considered the first 2-min following the start of a rise in skin conductance as part of hot flash onset because this interval encompasses the rise in skin conductance towards a peak level, before it plateaus, for the majority of hot flashes (23). Given the clear association between awakenings and hot flash onset for the majority of hot flashes, our results support the theory that a hot flash and awakening are driven by a common central process, such as sympathetic activation (25); however, it is still possible that sweating triggered by a hot flash contributes to or extends the interval of waking.…”

“…Similarly, studies that have assessed the relationship between objectively-recorded nocturnal hot flashes, based on skin conductance or skin temperature measures, with objective sleep parameters have produced mixed results, with studies showing that objective hot flashes are associated with a poorer objective sleep profile (16, 19–23), or no association between objective hot flash and sleep measures (15, 24), or a relationship between objective hot flashes and PSG-defined awakenings only in the first half of the night (25). The nature of the relationship between hot flashes and sleep, therefore, depends on whether hot flashes and sleep are subjectively or objectively assessed (15), and it remains unclear whether physiological hot flashes are a significant cause of objective sleep disturbance in peri- and post-menopausal women.…”

“…In a subsequent study, these authors reported that hot flashes disturb sleep only in the first half of the night; awakenings were more likely to occur after than before a hot flash in the first but not the second half of the night (25). Recently, Savard et al (23) reported that time to reach the peak in skin conductance (but not hot flash frequency) correlated with more wake after sleep onset, less sleep efficiency and higher number of awakenings in breast cancer patients.…”

Actigraphy for measurements of sleep in relation to oncological treatment of patients with cancer: A systematic review

“…Menopausal status and the effect of hot flashes have been reported to affect sleep in a negative manner [58]. In a recent study of patients with breast cancer [59] it was shown that nocturnal hot flashes and sleep disturbances (determined by PSG) co-occurred, and it was suggested that they may share a common central regulation from the central nervous system. As pointed out by Palesh et al.…”

Validation of a sternal skin conductance criterion for measuring hot flashes in breast cancer patients

“…9 The study was approved by the research ethics committees of Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec and Université Laval. Patients gave their signed informed consent and received a monetary compensation of CDN$50.00.…”