Management of sleep disorders in females diagnosed with the polycystic ovarian

Females diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to exhibit obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), difficulty falling asleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and restless leg syndrome. Presence of sleep disturbances or sleep disorders results in poor day time work performance, lack of attention, memory and overall feeling of well-being. The present systematic review focus on interventions for management of sleep disorders in PCOS females. Online literature search of relevant studies across databases of PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Google Scholar and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) from beginning to June 2022 was performed (PROSPERO:CRD42022347538). The methodological quality of included RCT was assessed using Cochrane ROB tool and pre-post study was assessed using NIH quality assessment tool. Results of review were reported using qualitative synthesis. One RCT and one pre-post study was included and analysed in this review. Age range of participants in the study was from 18-40 years. The studies reported 8 weeks' interventions of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), melatonin tablets with magnesium oxide and melatonin tablets alone. Sleep outcomes were assessed subjectively by Stanford Sleepiness Scale and Iranian version of the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index and objectively by polysomnographic recordings. Qualitative synthesis of included studies indicated positive results of interventions on sleep outcomes in PCOS females though with limited evidence. CPAP, melatonin-magnesium co-supplementation; and melatonin alone for 8 weeks have beneficial effects on some sleep outcomes in PCOS females. Moreover, there is need to conduct more good quality research trials.