Sleep deprivation, cognitive performance, and hormone therapy in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To study the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance in postmenopausal women and to evaluate whether hormone therapy (HT) has a modifying effect on coping.

Design: Twenty-six postmenopausal women, aged 58 to 72 years (mean 64 years), volunteered for the study (HT users, n = 16; nonusers, n = 10). They spent four consecutive nights in the sleep laboratory.