Elevated estradiol during a hormone simulated pseudopregnancy decreases sleep and increases hypothalamic activation in female Syrian hamsters.

Sleep disruptions are a common occurrence during the peripartum period. While physical and environmental factors associated with pregnancy and newborn care account for some sleep disruptions, there is evidence that peripartum fluctuations in estrogens may independently impact sleep. However, the impact of these large fluctuations in estrogens on peripartum sleep is unclear because it is difficult to tease apart the effects of estrogens on sleep from effects associated with the growth and development of the fetus or parental care.