Aug 05, 2025
Aarushi BhaduryThe Sleep Foundation explains women may need more sleep than men due to hormonal shifts during key life stages like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, which often disrupt their sleep.
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While both men and women need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, women experience sleep disturbances more often. This can lead to less restful sleep and a need for longer time in bed to compensate for the lack of quality rest.
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Studies suggest that women are more sensitive to sleep loss. After a night of poor sleep, women tend to spend more time in deep, restorative sleep to catch up, suggesting their bodies have a stronger need to recover.
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Poor sleep can have a more significant impact on women's health, potentially increasing their risk for mood disorders and heart problems compared to men.
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Hormone changes during the menstrual cycle directly affect a woman's sleep quality. These issues are often more pronounced for those with PMS or PMDD, but even without these conditions, sleep can be worse in the days leading up to a period.
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Getting quality sleep is difficult during pregnancy due to physical discomforts and hormonal changes. Poor sleep during this time is linked to higher risks of complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression.
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As women approach menopause, changing hormone levels often lead to difficulty falling or staying asleep. Hot flashes and night sweats are common, and the risk for conditions like insomnia and sleep apnea increases.
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Women are more likely to have insomnia, anxiety, and depression—all of which are linked and can disrupt sleep. Sleep medicine physician, notes that social burdens on women can also lead to emotional distress that makes it harder to sleep.
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While research shows women sleep, on average, 11 minutes longer than men, their sleep is more often interrupted. Women are more likely to wake up at night to care for family members and may nap more to make up for lost sleep.
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Surveys show women report not sleeping well more often than men. In lab settings, women appear to have better sleep quality. This contradiction may be due to women's internal clocks not aligning with schedules and undiagnosed health issues.
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