As we all know, sleep is the most important factor in determining our well-being. A good night’s sleep not only revitalizes and recharges our bodies, but it also protects us from a variety of illnesses. However, sleep does not come easily to everyone, often due to hectic schedules, sedentary lifestyles, and erratic eating habits. But did you know that your gender influences the quantity and quality of your sleep?
Gender Difference in Sleep Disorders, a study published in the National Library of Medicine, found that women have better sleep quality than men, with longer sleep times, shorter sleep-onset latency, and higher sleep efficiency.
Dr. Vipul Gupta, chief of neurointerventional surgery and co-chief of the Stroke Unit at Artemis Hospital in Gurugram, said that women tend to have slightly better or deeper sleep quality. They also sleep longer than men and have a different sleep schedule than men because they sleep earlier and wake up earlier than men.
As a result, women sleep for an average of 5 minutes longer than men, ranging from 5 to 30 minutes. But why is this happening? This is due to women using more of their actual brains, which are more complex than men’s. Dr Gupta agreed with the theory that because women use the front of the brain — the prefrontal cortex — to multitask, they sleep longer than men.
According to experts, women experience a variety of sleep disturbances due to hormonal changes at various stages of their lives. Dr Viswesvaran Balasubramanian, Consultant, Interventional Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine at Yashoda Hospitals in Hyderabad said that the hormonal changes in women are profound during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause.
Despite the fact that women sleep longer and better than men, sleep disorders are more common in women. Dr Gupta explained that although women used to sleep better and longer than men, as time passed, women became more prone to sleep disorders. Insomnia, or the inability to sleep, is the most common. This is especially prevalent after the age of 40. There are also more unusual sleep disorders, such as restless leg syndrome, in which the person has restless legs that move around throughout the night.
According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, women are more likely than men to have more severe symptoms of depression, difficulty sleeping at night, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Women also have a harder time concentrating and remembering things because they are sleepy or tired.
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