Woman with insomnia while the husband sleeps loudly.
While women are said to sleep a little longer than men, their sleep quality is much worse. The human need for sleep is much greater when we are young and the necessary amount is the same for boys and girls up to puberty. Then, girls report less sleep than boys and more sleep concerns. Some studies suggest that the change in sleep patterns is more gradual for boys and begins later. This fits with girls who mature earlier than boys.
Babies need 12-15 hours of sleep. The necessary hours constantly drop to 10-13 for 3 to 5 years, 8-10 for teens, and adults who usually need 7-9 hours.
How hormones disrupt sleep
Once hormones strike women, all the breaks of loose hell for women’s sleep. When a woman’s period begins and she begins to bleed, her levels of progesterone and estrogen are low, and can become more difficult to fall asleep.
The levels of both hormones rise as your body reads to release an egg (follicular phase). Some women are more sleepy during this phase.
These hormone levels culminate after the egg is released and your body prepares for a pregnancy. Sleep can be easier during this luteal phase.
At the end of the cycle, your hormones fall faster. Fall can cause symptoms of PMS, which are very unpleasant and can disrupt sleep.
Finally, as women go through menopause and have lower hormone levels, they may have more irritability and difficulty sleeping from hot ignitions and night sweats. In a national health interview study, perimenopausal women (56.0%) were more likely than post -menopausal women (40.5%) and premenopause (32.5%) women to sleep less than 7 hours. More women after menopause also complained that they did not feel well rested. After menopause, sleep apnea and disturbed foot syndrome become more common.
Illustration of the menstrual cycle over 28 days without fertilization after ovulation. From above … [+]
Men and women have different sleep patterns
We all go through different stages of sleep, called cycles. These include sleeping of non -fast eye movement, which is deeper, and a Rem phase, with a more intense dream. Carol Ash, Do, a Board Certified Specialist at RWJ Barnabas Health, Describes the changes in this model, called sleep architecture, between men and women. She notes, “Women will fall asleep faster and will spend more time in the deep stages of sleep.” This is a very restorative sleep. Men spend more time as sleep Rem, and “Sleep Dream helps us to consolidate memory and learn.”
There are other differences. Women tend to have an early melatonin release. They also tend to be more susceptible to noise at night, so their sleep is more easily broken. Due to the issues of the menstrual cycle, cramps, pregnancy and then menopause, “has all kinds of challenges that women face that will make their sleep really less quality,” Ash added.
Disordishes Sleep disorders affect men and women differently
Men tend to be more troubled than snoring and sleep apnea, which can lead to cardiovascular problems. Sleep -deprived women tend to have more symptoms of anxiety and depression, excessive daytime drowsiness and more trouble sleeping at night, for a report at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. They also have more difficulty in concentrating and remembrance of things
Health problems from lack of sleep
There are many problems with not enough sleep. It can cause humor and damage creativity and decision -making. We have all experienced distraction and difficulty focusing on when we need more sleep.
Sleep can also lead to more accidents, including drops, broken bones and car accidents.
Sleep affects hunger regulatory hormones. Leptina signals saturation – that you have had enough to eat. Ghrelin, an appetite stimulant, rises when you are deprived of sleep, and leptin decreases. These hormone changes are thought to contribute to snacking at night and overweight. Sleep deprivation is also associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes mellitus and overweight. This leads to a bad cycle both with weight and age; You are more likely to develop apnea and sleep arthritis with pain, then making it harder to sleep.
Dr Ash says, “Women pay a heavier price for lack of sleep than men. So we are twice as likely to have high blood pressure. Women less than 50 will have problems with a higher degree of stress” and mood disorders. It adds, “not getting enough sleep leads to all the usual chronic diseases, we are trying to prevent, all cardiac events and mortality. ”
Health capital
The National Sleep Foundation raises significant concerns about the capital of sleep and racism. People in color are disproportionately affected by poor sleep. This is also true for poor people and those who are LGBTQ. The reasons include sincere discrimination, unemployment and poverty and access to care. The latter means that they are less likely to be diagnosed with a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea and receive effective treatment. Changing and increasing professional risks also represent an unfair burden. And “neighborhoods with a higher percentage of undeserved and under -representing individuals” are often lighter, have higher levels of pollution and other things that contribute to poor sleep.
Improving your sleep
Dr. Ash offers some tips to help you get a better night’s sleep. “The only thing that is so important is to wake up at the same time every day and expose yourself to light,” Ash says. “And because it helps set everyone’s setting is how you start your day.” Sleeping on the weekend is “not different from what we will experience with the time of savings of the day,” she adds, pointing out that it increases inflammation and can contribute to heart attacks. The time of savings of the day is the opposite of what we need: more easy exposure during the morning and less at night.
Other common tips are making your bedroom a smooth sleeping place of sleep and not many tasks working or watching TV in bed. Avoid blue light and electronics even before bedtime. Tips with ordinary sense are to avoid caffeine and chocolate because both can be stimulants and also worsen hot ignitions. Having a relaxing evening routine is likely to help. While studies that use Actigrafs do not show yoga efficiency or aerobic exercise to reduce sleep disturbances in menopause, self-reported sleep quality, and the severity of insomnia improved.
AASM also suggests that you consider cooling sheets and light blankets; Your bedroom should be about 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Painted and meditation applications are also quite popular. “Calm” and “Headpace” are two of the biggest players. Calm is approximately 4.5 million users and has made $ 300 million in 2023; The headspace has 2.8 million users and made $ 195 million in 2023. Some apps focus a little more on meditation, such as the timer Insight and the balance, but are useful for sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping, I suggest trying some of them until you find the one that works best for you. With these tips, you have to be well equipped to set up new health habits, starting this week of sleep awareness.