Does self-compassion explain variance in sleep quality in women experiencing hot flushes?

OBJECTIVES: With poor sleep highly prevalent during the menopause transition, there is a need to better understand modifiable psychological resources that may be associated with improved sleep. Hence, we investigated whether self-compassion can explain variance in self-reported sleep quality in midlife women, over and above vasomotor symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study (N = 274) used questionnaire data from self-report measures of sleep, hot flushes and night sweats, hot flush interference, and self-compassion, with analyses conducted using sequential (hierarchical) regression. RESULTS: Poor sleep, as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, was prevalent and significantly worse in the subsample of women with hot flushes and night sweats, g = 0.28, 95 % CI [0.04, 0.53]. The interference of hot flushes in everyday life (ß = 0.35, p < .01), but not their frequency, predicted self-reported sleep quality. Once self-compassion was added to the model it was the only predictor of poor sleep (ß = -0.32, p < .01). When positive self-compassion and self-coldness were considered separately, the effect on sleep quality appeared to be attributable to self-coldness scores alone (ß = 0.29, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Self-compassion may have a stronger relationship with self-reported sleep quality in midlife women than vasomotor symptoms. Future intervention-based research could test the efficacy of self-compassion training for midlife women experiencing sleep disturbances, as this may be an important and modifiable psychological resilience factor.

The role of self-compassion in the relationship between hot flushes and night sweats and anxiety.

OBJECTIVES: An association between hot flushes and night sweats (HFNS) and psychopathology, including depression, is well established for some women. However, the relationship between HFNS and anxiety needs further exploration. Self-compassion may be a psychosocial factor which influences the experience of HFNS and anxiety for midlife women. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which HFNS are associated with anxiety and examine the additional importance of self-compassion. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional design using questionnaire data from 109 women aged 45-66 years was employed and multiple hierarchical regression was used to explore relationships between HFNS, anxiety and self-compassion. RESULTS: The results indicated that interference of HFNS in everyday life (ß =.31), but not frequency of HFNS, predicted anxiety. However, once self-compassion was included in the model it was the only predictor of anxiety (ß=-.46) and this relationship was significant for the items positive self-compassion (ß=-0.37) and negatively worded self-coldness (ß=.43). CONCLUSIONS: Interference of HFNS in everyday life may predict increased anxiety during menopause for some women. However, self-compassion may have a stronger relationship with anxiety than menopausal symptoms.