Women and Sleep

There are few things worse than chipper morning people…provided you yourself are not a morning person or don’t get the right amount of quality sleep each night.

Morning people leave the rest of us in a state of perpetual perplexity. And most morning people are men. While sleep time can vary from person to person, the average adult needs between 7-9 hours of quality sleep. However, just because we need it doesn’t always mean we get it.

Where men win the “Most Likely to be a Morning Person” award, women aren’t to be outdone. Ladies, you win the less prestigious award of “Most Likely to Not Get Enough Quality Sleep.”

Congrats?

According to multiple studies, women have a harder time falling asleep and physically need more sleep than men do. Unfortunately, the trouble women have with sleep is largely due to biology, as women are more likely to be susceptible to hormonal imbalances. These imbalances affect sleep and can lead to other serious health issues such as hypertension, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and depression. Women are also more likely to use their brains to engage in multitasking, which, you guessed it, requires more sleep.

So the question remains: how can women get better quality sleep?

For starters, research suggests that bedtime rituals can actually trick the brain into getting ready for sleep. Rituals like reading, dimming the lights, and putting the phone down can get the brain to produce melatonin, nature’s sleep aid.

Naps during the day can also aid in a woman’s physical and mental health. Naps should either be 25 or 90 minutes due to the REM cycles of sleep. Anything longer or shorter will have the counterintuitive effect of leaving you even more tired than you were before.

The important thing to remember is that quality of sleep is vastly more important than quantity. Don’t stress or try to catch up on a bad night of sleep—deep, revitalizing sleep is most important! If you have any questions on how you can get better quality sleep, ask away! All of us at Beautyrest Sleep Gallery want to help you achieve a better night’s sleep so you can wake up and be happy!