Marla Ahlgrimm points out that insomnia is linked to a myriad of health conditions. Chronic sleeplessness can result in hypertension, depression, and cardiovascular disease. In women specifically, insomnia may coincide with hormone disturbances, such as PMS. It is believed that long-term, fragmented and disturbed sleep patterns may also induce problems with implantation and, in the case of pregnancy, neonatal health.
Marla Ahlgrimm notes that many studies of reproductive capacity and sleep disturbances have been performed on women whose professional obligations mean routinely interrupted sleep. Doctors and nurses in particular are known to work long hours with little rest.
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a known cause of infertility that may be exacerbated by sleep disordered breathing, says Marla Ahlgrimm. Likewise, obesity, which can trigger insomnia, is an issue that must often be addressed prior to a woman’s successful conception. Some medical professionals theorize that these two conditions are reciprocal to insomnia and thus infertility.
Marla Ahlgrimm hopes that forthcoming research will help shed light on the potential connection between the two conditions. She reports that infertility, which is considered a disability as per the Americans with Disabilities Act, is an all-too-common and yet heartbreaking condition. It is characterized by the inability to conceive within 12 months or, for advanced maternal first-time mothers, within a period of six months.
