See why women have more trouble sleeping – 06/20/2023 – Equilibrium

I’m a woman in a heterosexual relationship, and my partner always seems to fall asleep faster (and stay asleep longer) than I do. What is happening? Do men find it easier to sleep than women?

Difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep are common, especially with age. And research suggests that for women the problems may be greater.

According to recent research by the US National Sleep Foundation, women are significantly more likely than men to report difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

Such problems can arise during puberty and continue into adulthood, says Fiona Baker, director of the Human Sleep Research Program at SRI International, a nonprofit research institute located in Menlo Park, Calif.

And they can be caused by a range of factors, including biological, psychological and social, experts say. The good news, however, is that there are things you can do to help.

What Causes Women’s Sleep Problems?

Throughout the reproductive years, says Baker, hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can cause mood swings (such as anxiety and depression) and physical symptoms (cramping, bloating, and tender breasts, for example) that can disrupt sleep.

Symptoms during pregnancy — such as nausea, frequent urination, anxiety and general discomfort, depending on the trimester — can also trigger sleep disturbances, says Shelby Harris, associate clinical professor of neurology and psychology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx ( New York). This is especially true during the first and third trimesters, she says.

Then, of course, there’s the interruption of sleep when the mother is caring for the newborn, Harris recalls — which can continue long after the baby has slept through the night. Sometimes “women’s brains are almost trained to listen to the baby,” she says, which can lead to a pattern of hypervigilance and readiness that can disrupt sleep.

Hormones play a major role in the years leading up to and after menopause. Up to 80 percent of women begin experiencing perimenopausal hot flashes (the four or more years before menopause) and can continue to have them for up to seven years afterward, says Baker. For about 20% of women, though, these hot flashes are frequent and intense enough to disrupt sleep, she points out.

Postmenopausal women are also at greater risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea, when the muscles in the airways relax and temporarily stop breathing, which can cause frequent nighttime awakenings.

“It’s the hormones again,” says Baker. Menopause and aging-related weight gain may also play a role in sleep apnea risk, along with age-associated changes in muscle tone and an overall redistribution of body weight.

Women are also at greater risk for certain mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, which can exacerbate sleep problems.

According to a poll released in May, the percentage of women who said they had or were being treated for depression was more than double that of men. And the US Department of Health and Human Services says that women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder during their lifetimes.

how to sleep better

Fortunately, effective solutions are available, says Harris.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is widely recognized as the best first-line treatment, she says.

Using a variety of cognitive and behavioral techniques, such as identifying and reframing negative thinking patterns, practicing mindfulness, tracking sleep and changing your bedtime, has been shown to improve sleep and reduce depressive symptoms, says Harris.

Hormone replacement therapy, which involves supplementing hormones lost during the menopausal transition, is considered the most effective way to treat hot flashes, says Dr.

But the current recommendation is to “take the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time,” Baker points out, because the treatment can carry risks.

Finally, it is important to recognize that it is normal to have variations in sleep from night to night or from person to person.

And waking up after falling asleep doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem. “Everyone wakes up in the middle of the night,” adds Harris, “just some people remember more than others.”

If you wake up once or twice at night and are able to fall back asleep within 10 to 15 minutes, that’s not a problem, she says. But “if you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early, or if you feel your sleep is not restful,” she recommends seeking help.

Above all, says Harris, “don’t suffer in silence.”