A new study suggests that Vitamin E may be a potential new treatment for chronic insomnia disorder often seen in postmenopausal women helping to improve sleep quality and reduce sedative drug use.
160 postmenopausal women with chronic insomnia disorder participated in this double-blinded, randomized, placebo-control trial. The participants were given either a 400 IU mixed tocopherol Vitamin E, or a placebo daily. The study used the PSQI questionnaire, which is a simple test that is both internationally standardized and validated for identifying poor sleepers. The secondary outcome of the study was to determine the percentage of participants using sedative drugs for sleep.
At baseline, there was no significant difference between the 2 study groups; however the median PSQI score at baseline was slightly higher in the Vitamin E group when compared with the placebo group. After one month, the PSI score was significantly lower in the Vitamin E group when compared with the placebo group. Actually the improvement scores were significantly higher in the Vitamin E group when compared with the placebo group. Additionally there was a significant reduction in the percentage of participants using sedative drugs in the Vitamin E group (although this difference was not considered to be statistically significant) when compared with the placebo group.
Researchers believe the levels of various sex hormones, for example a decrease in estradiol levels and an increase in follicle stimulating hormone during menopausal transitioning are what may be responsible for perceived sleep fragmentation and poor sleep quality in addition to increased awakenings. Insomnia is known to significantly increase the risk of major depression, neurodegenerative disease, cognitive impairment, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, myocardial infarction, and arterial hypertension. Prior studies shows increases in oxidative stress markers are seen in individuals with insomnia and Vitamin E a known antioxidant may support a reduction in these oxidative stress markers.
Further studies are needed.
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