Here’s why women need more sleep than men

If a woman claims to be tired, take her at her word and let her sleep some more. According to several studies, women should in fact accumulate an average of 28 minutes more sleep per night than men to achieve the same feeling of rest. And there is nothing imaginary about it.

Strictly feminine physiological reasons

If sleep needs obviously vary depending on the person and age, women would be required by more than one physiological phenomenon. On the one hand, estrogen secretion could explain this variation. Iron deficiency, more common in women, could also play a role in fatigue and the need to sleep. They also suffer more from restless legs syndrome. Finally, the different cycles that punctuate a woman’s life (menstrual cycles, pregnancy(ies), menopause, etc.) would be the cause of poorer quality sleep over time.

A mental load that increases the debt

However, female physical causes are not the only ones to weigh heavily in the balance of sleep. According to Discover Magazine, gender inequalities and mental burden would prevent women from falling into the arms of Morpheus as they deserve. Thus, parenthood, number of hours worked and mental health widen the gap a little further with their male partners. For example, if we say that it takes around 6 years to regain adequate sleep after giving birth, it is often a little less for dads, and more for mothers, who consequently experience anxiety and insomnia.

A lack that has repercussions on health

As a result, in France, almost half of women (44%) say they are dissatisfied with the quality of their sleep, compared to 37% of the general population. A reality that is important to recognize to allow women to regain quality sleep.

Long-term lack of sleep can affect concentration and work, but above all be the breeding ground for more serious problems such as cognitive decline and high blood pressure.

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