Is it True that Women Are At Higher Risk to Sleep Disorders?

Yes, it is true that women are at higher risk to sleep disorder than men.

Women are two times as likely to suffer from sleep disorders, such as falling and staying asleep, than men. Many reasons are to be examined.

The clinical definition of a sleep disorder is “an unsettling pattern of sleep that may include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at unsuitable times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep”.

There are four categories of sleep disorders:

• Insomnia
• Hypersomnia
• Sleeping disruptive disorders
• Having trouble sticking to a normal sleep pattern

Factors Responsible For Sleep Disorders in Women

There are many factors that may have impact the ordinary sleep cycle for women. Changes in hormone levels, stress, lifestyle illness, and sleep environment, pregnancy and hormone fluctuations associated with menstrual cycles, premenstrual sleep disturbances, psychosocial stress, depression, and anxiety have all been named as causes.

Pain, grief, and worry can disturb sleep, as can certain medical conditions, medications, and breathing disorders, in menopausal and postmenopausal women.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy, which of course only affects women, causes a whole host of sleep-disturbing symptoms. Some pregnant mothers are faced with their first introduction to sleep apnea during pregnancy.

A lack of oxygen can become a real problem for mother and child and can cause low birth weight in newborns.

Frequent urination, fetal movements, heartburn, general discomfort, low back pain, snoring, leg cramps, nightmares, and sleep apnea are all part of pregnancy and can keep a mommy to be from getting her much needed shut-eye. Men, of course, do not have these issues to worry about.

Menopause

Menopause hits middle aged women. It results in anxiety and heart palpitations. A decrease in hormone levels can cause frequent awakenings, insomnia, and fragmented sleep.[Sleep and Menopause]

Some menopausal women experience hot flashes at night which are clinically known as night sweats. Over 30% of women suffer from night sweats which can start several years before menopause sets in.

Insomnia

Women are at higher risk to insomnia than men. Insomnia has been related with depression and stress. Studies show that 20% insomnia sufferers suffer from major depression and 90% of people with depression have insomnia.

The main causes of insomnia are stress and depression. Depression may cause early morning awakenings.

Sleep Apnea

One in four women over the age of 65 reportedly suffers from sleep apnea. Most of the menopausal women suffer from sleep apnea. A risk factor for this sleep disorder is being overweight.

One presumption is that the increase in belly fat during menopause may be one reason women are more likely to face this disorder. Sleep apnea is characterized by snoring, intermittent breathing during sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Nighttime Pain

According to a 1996 NSF Gallup Poll, more women suffer from nighttime pain than men. 1 in 4 women said that their 3 or more nights sleep per week is interrupted by pain or discomfort. Women are more prone to migraines, tension headaches, rheumatic or arthritis conditions, and heartburn.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that often shows symptoms during the teen years. Patients report having abrupt sleep attacks, a sudden loss of muscle tone or strength, or disturbed nighttime sleep.

More women than men suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Chronic stress is the major contributing factor and sleep disturbances are common as patients have trouble falling asleep. [Narcolepsy Selfcare

Restless Legs Syndrome

According to the NSF 2002 Sleep Poll in America, 18% of females have reported symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome. Restless Legs Syndrome, RLS, is a neurological movement disorder which can lead to daytime sleepiness, mood swings, anxiety, and depression.

Female Shift Workers

Female night shift workers get inadequate sleep and more disturbed sleep than the normal 8-5 shift worker. Working the night shift puts strain on the family and puts women at a higher risk for irregular menstrual cycles, problems with conception, and higher rates of miscarriage, premature birth and low birth-weight babies.

Stress

Women who, traditionally and culturally, wear many hats generally get affected with psychological stress. Women fill the role of wife & mother, caregiver for aging parents, and employee which can cause inadequate sleep and sleep deprivation.

Over 66% of persons with nocturnal sleep-related disorder are women. Throughout the night, patients eat food while they appear asleep. Patients with this situation report not remembering their nighttime eating. It can be caused by medications or other sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders are more common in older women but affect women of all ages. Most, if not all of these matters, will not affect men.