WHY WOMEN NEED MORE SLEEP

STUDIES SHOW THAT GENDER MAY PLAY A ROLE IN HOW MUCH YOU SNOOZE.

“When we sleep, our body releases a neuro-blocker that puts our non-essential muscles in a state of paralysis – especially our arms and legs – so that we do not act out our dreams. This neuro-blocker automatically clears when we wake up. Our body goes through three stages of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and one stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (per 90-minute sleep cycle) – this period of fitful sleep is the time the body restores itself.

Studies show that men and women appear to approach some of the processes of repair and restoration differently. Women are known to fall asleep faster and need additional recovery time – approximately 20 minutes according to studies. This may be the body’s natural tendency to adapt as women have traditionally played the role of homemakers and caregivers, and hence need more sleep. A woman’s life cycle and hormonal changes – puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause – are said to impact sleep patterns as well.

There are also indications of a gender difference between body clocks: While all our bodies work on a 24-hour circadian rhythm, a man’s body clock is about six minutes longer than a woman’s. While that may not seem like much of a difference, it can add up to affect the day and night clock over time. This could have impacted the historic reputation of men as night owls compared to women, who tend to be early risers as they go to bed earlier.”

– Dr Richard Swinbourne