What Sinks Women’s Sleep
As for why women tend to sleep more poorly than men, researchers don’t have clear answers. But they do have some theories.
The hormone progesterone is linked with better sleep, and when progesterone dips just before menstruation, women tend to sleep more poorly, said Shelby Harris, a clinical psychologist in New York City who specialises in sleep disorders. Women often report sleep difficulties during the time leading up to and after menopause, too, when hormone levels change.
Compared with men, women also tend to do more caregiving and housework, which could make it harder for women to fall and stay asleep. Remembering to pick up the dry cleaning, check in with relatives, take the kids to school and schedule doctor’s appointments.
“All of those little things can contribute to worry, and worry and stress are two of the biggest disruptions to our sleep,” Robbins says.
Sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome become more common in women as they age. Women with sleep apnoea often go undiagnosed because they aren’t as likely as men to have certain telltale symptoms such as snoring or waking up gasping for air, says Dr Rachel Salas, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
How to Know if You’re Getting Enough Rest
The length of time people sleep and the quality of that sleep don’t tell us anything about how much sleep they should be getting. “Those aren’t necessarily the same thing,” Robbins says.
The National Sleep Foundation says adults generally need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, but the exact amount can vary from person to person, Harris said. “There’s no one magic number,” she says.
Robbins added that it can be helpful to track your sleep with a smartwatch or other tracking device to ensure you’re getting at least seven hours a night. But often, the best way to tell if you’re getting enough sleep is to gauge how you feel during the day. If you’re regularly exhausted, that could be a sign that you’re not getting enough sleep and could even have a sleep disorder.
“If you feel you get enough sleep, but you’re still tired or are having problems staying awake, those are reasons to talk to your doctor,” Salas says.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our* Live Well newsletter . Get it in your inbox every Monday ***.**