Why Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men?
There are several reasons why women need more sleep than men. Women are 40% more likely to experience insomnia than men. Women are also nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression, two conditions that are strongly associated with insomnia. Individuals with insomnia have difficulty falling or staying asleep regularly, and suffer from daytime sleepiness.
Hormones may be another reason for different sleep needs. The sleep-wake cycle is regulated by hormones. These hormones affect when a person feels tired, when they feel alert, and when they feel hungry. Women and people who were assigned female at birth can experience hormonal changes each month and throughout their lives, which affect their circadian rhythms and create a greater need for sleep.
Menstruation:
A third of people who menstruate have trouble sleeping due to cramps, headaches, and bloating. They report higher levels of daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and tiredness.
Pregnancy:
During pregnancy, women can experience restless legs syndrome, a condition that makes it harder to fall asleep. Pregnant women are also more likely to experience depression, sleep apnea, pain, and incontinence, which disrupt their sleep. These sleep problems can continue into the postpartum period, when their hormone levels drop at the same time as they begin caring for a newborn with irregular sleep cycles — often leading to daytime sleepiness.
Menopause:
During menopause, up to 85% of women experience hot flashes. When these occur at night, women wake up sweating, disrupting their sleep. The risk of developing sleep apnea also increases during menopause. This sleep disorder causes pauses in breathing that can disrupt a person’s quality of sleep. As a result, women with sleep apnea may wake up feeling less refreshed and experience excessive fatigue and sleepiness during the day.
