Did you know that sleep works differently for women and men? Thanks to biological differences, women generally take longer to fall asleep but spend more time in the restorative deep sleep phase compared to men.
Women also require 20 more minutes of sleep than men because of their expansive mental energy depletion; women tend to multitask more frequently using more of their brain during the day. Sleeping helps the brain regenerate, therefore, multitaskers need more focused REM (rapid eye movement).
In recognition of Women’s History Month this March, we will unpack a few big milestones that affect a women’s sleep cycle.
Women & Puberty
These differences start showing up as early as puberty. For instance, high school girls are less likely to get their recommended eight hours of sleep compared to boys. On top of that, girls in this age group are more likely to experience sleep struggles tied to depression. And it doesn’t stop there—sleep challenges seem to stick with women during other big hormonal shifts like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.
Take the menstrual cycle, for example. A third of women deal with cramps, headaches, and bloating that can mess with their sleep. While the total amount of sleep stays pretty consistent throughout the cycle, sleep quality often dips in the week leading up to a period. This is also when women with severe PMS report issues like disturbing dreams, fatigue, and trouble concentrating.
In a study from the Journal of Women’s Health, hormonal and physical changes from puberty to pregnancy to menopause impacts sleep health. “Sleep disorders such as the restless legs syndrome (RLS), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia are more prevalent in women during these specific time points. Lack of adequate sleep or the presence of sleep disorders can greatly impact a woman’s daily life, including her societal roles in the work force and as the primary caregiver in the family.”
Women & Pregnancy
Some women can develop more severe sleep disorders while pregnant, or their pregnancy can make existing symptoms even worse. If your insomnia persists or seems to be getting worse, or if your sleep deprivation is due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), then the first step is to schedule a sleep study. You can take our quiz and find out if you do have sleep apnea if you’re unsure. For more common signs from first to third trimester, review the following symptoms as OSA advances in pregnancy.
- First trimester: OSA occurs as a direct result of edema (swelling). Fatigue is also common. If you have been told you snore loudly or gasp and choke in your sleep, you may be developing OSA.
- Second trimester: Any minor problems with OSA become apparent. Normal weight gain plus continued swelling contribute to OSA. Mucus membranes may also be secreting even more fluid.
- Third trimester: Excessive daytime sleepiness may return with a vengeance, signaling the onset of OSA. This is when pregnant women also run the highest risk of becoming overweight. But even a pregnant woman with appropriate weight gain may still sleep without breathing problems at this time.
Women & Grief
According to Medicine Net, three out of four women outlive their spouse, with the average age of becoming a widow being 59 years. More than half of women in the U.S. are widowed by the time they reach age 65. Every year, 4 percent of children under the age of 15 experience the loss of a parent through death.
Research shows 40 percent of bereaved individuals will suffer from an anxiety disorder in the first year after the death of a loved one. The grief can be so intense for some elderly individuals that a 70 percent increase in death risk occurs six months after their spouse’s death. The stress is too intense for their body to continue.
On a cognitive level, sleep deprivation impacts the brain’s ability to process memories and make sound judgment, so the individual becomes more forgetful, less able to retain learnings from the day, and more likely to behave rashly or make poor decisions.
Emotionally, the individual has a tougher time balancing their mood, and is prone to produce higher levels of stress hormones, resulting in increased anxiety and poor outlook. Physically, an individual’s immune system is compromised with little sleep making them more likely to get sick. Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
If insomnia or bad habits persist, you can talk to your doctor to determine other steps you can take to improve their sleep. Sometimes it is not all about the gender as study’s predict so a sleep trial may be in your future. The Alaska Sleep Clinic provides free phone consultation that can help you back on track to a full night’s rest.
