Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a gynecological disorder characterized by difficulty in menstrual flow that affects between 45 and 95% of women of reproductive age. This disorder can disturb sleep, especially during the first days of menstruation, when pain intensity tends to be greater, resulting in daytime fatigue, which suggests a reduction in sleep efficiency and a reduction in deep sleep.

Correlate the symptoms of dysmenorrhea and sleep quality in young nulliparous women.

A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of young nulliparous women. Women aged 18 to 30 years who had never become pregnant were selected. The participants were evaluated by the same examiner using the socio-clinical questionnaire, visual analog pain scale (VAS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). In the data analysis, the means and standard deviation of the variables were calculated according to the normal distribution of the sample, and the groups with and without dysmenorrhea were compared according to the level of sleep quality using the t-test for independent samples. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Science program (SPSS version 23), considering a significance level of 5%.

The sample of this study consisted of 69 nulliparous young adult women with a mean age of 21.86 ± 3.16 years. Dysmenorrhea had a prevalence of 65.21% (n=45), and most of them had regular menstrual flow. The level of dysmenorrhea pain was low, with a mean VAS of 3.59 ± 3.16 points. In the characterization of sleep quality, the average was 8.33 ± 2.43. Most participants had poor sleep quality (n=51), 14 had sleep disturbance, and 4 women had good sleep quality. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups with and without dysmenorrhea with the dysmenorrhea group showing higher values for sleep disorders (p = 0.02). There was a direct correlation between the presence of dysmenorrhea and domains of sleep quality. Subjective sleep quality (R=0.32), daytime dysfunction (R=0.37), and total sleep quality (R=0.35) showed moderate correlation with dysmenorrhea. Sleep latency showed a weak correlation with dysmenorrhea (R=0.29).

Young nulliparous women with dysmenorrhea have more sleep disorders than women without dysmenorrhea. There is a greater association in terms of subjective sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, sleep latency, and total sleep quality.

In scientific terms, dysmenorrhea directly impacts sleep quality and may directly impact the lives of these women in symptomatic terms (more dysfunction) and terms of quality of life. In clinical terms, this study is relevant for presenting the importance of assessing dysmenorrhea and quality of sleep in young nulliparous women co, considering that both conditions are prevalent in this population.