Lifestyle
Why Women Struggle with Sleep: Unveiling the Research Behind Restless Nights
Getting a good night’s sleep can be challenging for many, with stress, racing thoughts, and other factors often disrupting rest. However, recent research published in Scientific Reports highlights a particular challenge for women, who tend to sleep less and experience more interruptions compared to men. This discrepancy is not just due to lifestyle factors, as previously thought, but may also be influenced by biological differences.
“In humans, men and women exhibit distinct sleep patterns, often attributed to lifestyle factors and caregiving roles,” explained Rachel Rowe, PhD, assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Our results suggest that biological factors may play a more substantial role in driving these sleep differences than previously recognized.”
The study utilized “ultrasensitive moment sensors” to monitor the sleep patterns of mice, revealing that male mice enjoyed about 670 minutes of sleep—an hour more than female mice—over a 24-hour period. This additional sleep time for males occurred during the non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phase, known for its restorative benefits, where the body undergoes essential repair processes.
Female mice, on the other hand, experienced more fragmented sleep and shorter sleep intervals. This pattern of sleep is not unique to mice but has been observed in other species as well. Rowe noted the evolutionary perspective, suggesting, “From a biological standpoint, it could be that females are designed to be more sensitive to their environment and be aroused when they need to be because they are typically the one who is caring for the young.”
This sensitivity might have been crucial for survival, ensuring that females could respond quickly to any threats. Rowe humorously added, “If we slept as hard as males sleep, we would not move forward as a species, right?”
The study also raises questions about whether women might inherently require less sleep or if hormonal factors, such as sex hormones and cortisol, play a more significant role in affecting women’s sleep. Rowe pondered, “For me, the question is: Are we creating too much stress for ourselves because we don’t sleep as much as our husband or partner and think our sleep is poor when actually that is a normal sleep profile for ourselves?”
This research not only provides validation for women who feel their sleep is insufficient but also highlights important considerations for future studies. Despite the National Institutes of Health (NIH) requiring animal studies to consider “sex as a biological variable,” there is still a noticeable bias.
As Grant Mannino, the study’s first author, pointed out, “Bottom line: If females are underrepresented, drugs that work best for them may seem ineffective, or side effects that hit hardest may go unnoticed.”
The study emphasizes the necessity of analyzing male and female data separately and ensuring equal representation in research. Rowe concluded, “The most surprising finding here isn’t that male and female mice sleep differently. It’s that no one has thoroughly shown this until now. We should have known this long before 2024.”
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