A recent study shows that sleeping is harder for women than men. Women are more likely to have sleep disturbances and suffer from insomnia than the opposite sex. This is due to the circardian rhythm also known as the body clock. The circardian rhythm of a female runs faster and this can explain why women run on an internal time zone that differs from that of men.
Diane Boivin is the lead author of the study that explained why women have more trouble sleeping. The psychiatry professor at the McGill University in Montreal showed that females have their body clock shifted earlier, and that is why they go to bed at a later biological time.
The non-profit organization, National Sleep Foundation, reported that women are more likely to have insomnia a few days a week compared to men that experience insomnia rarely.
For this research, doctors used the women’s menstrual cycles and hormonal contraceptives to show their impact on women’s sleeping patterns.
It was demonstrated that the contraceptive has no effect on the sleeping problems that female are facing.
The study that proved showes why sleeping is harder for women:
15 men and 11 women were recruited by the researchers for the study. The participants were around 25 years old. They were isolated in windowless rooms for 36 hours while the researchers recorded the changes in melatonin levels, sleep, and alertness. The light was controlled so that the doctors could have valid results.
Boivin said that she used the cat-nap approach which allowed the participants to sleep and stay awake for 1 hour each. The lights were turned on for waking up and turned off for sleeping.
The results show that women have less night alertness than men. This explains why women that work the night shift are more tired and have a higher rate of work-related injuries.
The study also reveals that women tend to be more vulnerable as the night ended. The sleep signals were stronger in men during this research. This is why women have the tendency to wake up earlier compared to men.
“For a similar sleep schedule, we find that women’s body clock causes them to fall asleep and wake up earlier than men. The reason is simple: their body clock is shifted to a more easterly time zone,” said Diane Boivin.
Do you think that sleeping is harder for women? Did you experience insomnia?
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