If you’ve ever spent one too many nights tossing and turning, you’re not alone.
According toHarvard Medical School, 60 percent of women don’t sleep enough.
And what’s the only thing worse than staring at the clock all night?
Staring at the clock while your restful partner snores next to you.
Men have an easier time both falling and staying asleep for a variety of reasons.
Sleep researcher and Canadian Sleep Society president Helen Driver discussed the differences withBest Health.
“Women may need a little more sleep than men do,” she explained.
“And we also experience more sleep problems, such as insomnia.”
Due to hormones to using our brains differently, women have a harder time unwinding at night.
Helen Driver shared that women’s sleep usually changes during their menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause.
“Women are more prone to having poor sleep around menstruation,“explained Driver.
“And that’s related to pain and mood changes.”
During your menstrual cycle, it’s especially important tobe kind to yourself.
see to it to go to bed and wake at the same times everyday.
Eating healthy foods and moving your body will also help with sleep.
When you are pregnant, it’s not just thehormones keeping you up.
Studies show that during pregnancy, a womancannot reach deep sleepas much as she used to.
In menopause, women lie awake because of hot flashes and even menopause-induced insomnia.
As women age, we are less likely to be able to reach that deep, restorative sleep.
To sum it up, we can never get a break.
Worry less, sleep more
Another reason why women take longer to fall asleep might be emotions.
Research shows that women are moreemotionally sensitive, and those emotions could be keeping us up at night.
Emotionally sensitive does not mean dramatic or weak.
Women use their brains more
Oh, we just love this study.
Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Center at Loughborough University in England, had similar findings.
“One of the major functions of sleep is to allow the brain to recover and repair itself.
Being the smarter sex is both a blessing and a curse.
Watching the alarm clock
Women are more likely to experience insomnia throughout their lives than men.
This can be related to the hormonal changes we experience, as well as other factors.
According to a National Sleep Foundation poll,74 percent of stay-at-home momsexperience some symptoms of insomnia.
Most sleep research in the past has focused on men.
That means that women have a shorter window to be able to fall asleep quickly.
Think about your average evening.
Women can hack it
Okay, ladies, we have some groundbreaking research to share with you.
Women cope better with sleep deprivation than men do.
Oh, you already knew that?
Men, on the other hand, have a harder time.
The dangers of missed sleep
Sure, women can function on no sleep.
We understand that going without sleep is part of life.
It’s bad for our health.
A 2007 study inSleepstudied the health effects of poor sleep on 3,508 men and 3,388 women.
Researchers found an association between shorter sleep duration and an increased risk for heart attacks in middle-aged women.
They did not see this same association in men.
This finding is scary, because so many of us experience disturbed sleep for years or even decades.
Insufficient sleep can also lead toaccelerated skin aging, blood clots, stroke, and psychiatric problems in women.
Sleep expert Michael Breus toldThe Australianthat women’s moods are severely affected by lack of sleep.
Sleep is clearly crucial for us women, so it is time to make it a true priority.
Because it takes a toll on our heart health, we can’t mess around with sleep deprivation.
So what exactly can we do to improve our sleep?
First, we all need to exercise every day.
Physical activity will help youfall asleep fasterand get deeper sleep each night.
Next, commit to sticking to a regularbedtime routine.
Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same times every day, even on weekends.
Finally, your bedroom should be a sacred place.
No work or screens allowed.
Keep your bedroom dark and cooler to help with sleep.
Reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy only.
Ask for help
There are some times in our lives when sleep is just impossible.
One of those times is when there is a newborn in the house.
Unsurprisingly, research shows that yoursleep time will decreasewhen there are children in the home.
The issue is that traditionally it is the mother getting up all night with the baby or children.
see to it to ask your partner for help so that you are not burning out on sleep deprivation.
If your sleep keeps getting worse, despite making these positive changes,check in with your doctor.
