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Women and sleep: Quality is as important as quantity
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Women and sleep: Quality is as important as quantity

Several biological changes that women go through — including menstruation, menopause and pregnancy — can significantly reduce their quality of sleep

Apart from stress and anxiety, biological changes that women go through -- like menstruation & pregnancy -- make them more prone to losing sleep.

Sometimes, burning the candle at both ends means your body is not getting the sleep it requires every day to perform well. From general stress and anxiety to sleep disorders and other underlying medical conditions, there are several factors that could be keeping women up at night.

Apart from impacting your focus, making you feel cranky and causing daytime sleepiness that interferes with your daily routine, over time lack of enough shut-eye can also increase your risk for developing serious medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

The several biological changes that women go through can cause them to lose out on good quality sleep. The US National Sleep Foundation recommends that that “healthy adults of any gender get between seven and nine hours of sleep”.


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What causes women to lose out on sleep?

“Biological changes like menstruation, pregnancy, menopause and conditions like endometriosis (a painful condition when the inner layer of the uterus grows outside, affecting women’s reproductive system) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS, a hormonal disorder of the female reproductive system that causes irregular periods) can cause them to lose out on a night of good quality sleep,” says Dr BVS Apoorva, consultant pulmonologist, Medicover Hospitals, Begumpet, Hyderabad.

Dr Ramniwas, assistant professor, department of pulmonary medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur, Rajasthan, says, “Insomnia is more common in women than men, and it is often related to hormonal changes.”

One study, ‘Exploring Sex and Gender Differences in Sleep Health: A Society for Women’s Health Research Report’, for instance, showed that

  • Women are at 40% increased risk of developing insomnia when compared to men
  • Women are at twice the risk of developing restless leg syndrome (RLS), a neurological disorder that causes an irresistible urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations. RLS is often related to iron deficiency and hormonal changes
  • Depression is more strongly associated with apnea in women than in men.

Dr Ramniwas adds that women are more likely to experience stress and anxiety, which can interfere with sleep. Managing stress through relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing exercises, can help reduce the impact of stress on sleep, he says.

Dr Apoorva says painful menstruation cycles can also cause women to lose sleep. “During dysmenorrhea or painful periods, women can experience severe lower back pain and abdominal cramps. This causes their quality of sleep to reduce,” she adds.

“Apart from the biological aspects, hormone-related disorders in women, like thyroid disorders, which are more common among women, can also reduce the quality of sleep. Hypothyroidism (a condition in which the body does not produce enough thyroid hormone) is more common in women, as studies have shown. Thyroid disorders can cause sleeping problems.”

Tips for better sleep

How endometriosis affects women’s sleep

For Kirthi (name changed), 39, who suffers from endometriosis, a good night’s sleep has always been a little out of reach.

The Hyderabad-based content creator has been experiencing severe pain in the stomach — which later progressed to debilitating pain in the lower back — for the past seven to eight years. “I was diagnosed with endometriosis, but the doctors were only prescribing painkillers to manage the condition,” Kirthi tells Happiest Health.

“I would lay awake, sleepless for hours. Despite feeling extremely sleepy, I couldn’t fall asleep — the debilitating pain would keep me up.”

Kirthi recalls getting up constantly in the middle of the night and using hot water bags to ease the back pain.

“Tears would roll down my face due to the intensity of the pain,” she says. “I also used to feel uncomfortable throughout the night. I would suddenly shiver and feel cold and then feel hot all of a sudden.”

Kirthi says that after years of taking painkillers that didn’t help, she decided to go in for surgery last year. Since then, the pain has subsided, and she is able to sleep better.

Studies have shown that the sleep quality of women who suffer from endometriosis, like Kirthi, is poor, often due to the pain and heavy, prolonged bleeding associated with the condition.

How to get a good night’s sleep?

The sleep hygiene to be followed for both men and women are largely similar, say doctors.

Dr Ramniwas says that it is important for women to be aware that hormonal changes during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause can affect sleep.

“Women may benefit from adjusting their sleep routine during these times, such as using extra pillows for support, taking naps, or adjusting the room temperature,” says Dr Ramniwas. “Consider consulting a doctor for specific issues such as PCOS, RLS, menopause, menstruation and postpartum stress disorder.”

Takeaways

  • Several biological changes that women go through in their lives, including menstruation, pregnancy and menopause are all factors that contribute to a lower sleep quality.
  • Being aware of how the hormonal changes your body goes through can affect your sleep is important along with practicing good sleep hygiene, say doctors.

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