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Women Watch Out: Poor Sleep Could Be Worse for You
No more excuses, please. Seriously. A new study that just came out, which I read about in an online article from an industry magazine, is bad news for women who don't sleep well. I think it's bad news for all of us.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered that poor sleep is linked to greater psychological distress (no surprise there) and higher levels of biomarkers that increase your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. No surprise there, either, because it's long been reported that sleep deprivation can have tremendous health consequences.
But here's the surprising part about the study. These associations are discriminating - they are much stronger in women than in men. So it's riskier to be a sleepless woman than a sleep-deprived man.
Women sleep worse and suffer more than men.
Research like this is trying to catch up to anecdotal evidence. Women are twice as likely as men to report problems with sleep, but most sleep studies in the past have focused on men.
I'm glad to see this changing as more studies with an equal focus on both sexes are performed, allowing us to really see differences between men and women. And no, I'm not trying to make this a competition between the sexes. I'm hoping that studies like this help us as doctors to target and treat sleep troubles better in the future.
The researchers here found that about 40 percent of the men and the women who participated in the study were classified as poor sleepers. These people have frequent problems falling asleep and staying asleep.
But while their sleep quality ratings were similar, men and women had dramatically different risk profiles. The women had greater feelings of hostility, depression, and anger. They also showed signs of being at a much higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
Can't sleep? Blame your hormones.
The real question, though, is WHY are women more at risk? Why the difference? It could be a number of things, all of which will need to be examined in future studies.
The biggest reason of all is probably related to hormonal differences and substances in the body that affect mood, inflammation, insulin balance, and of course, sleep. Examples include the amino acid tryptophan and hormone melatonin that help regulate sleep, as well as serotonin in the brain, which is a cornerstone to mood. So I guess this gives women another shot at blaming their hormones.
But it's not out of your control, because with this news comes the obvious antidote: get restful sleep. Be healthier. (And thinner, sexier, and more energetic, too. That's a stronger selling point, I think!)
Now, for the men out there, this study does not give you permission to shun sleep. It's still dangerous to let yourself live off restless nights. And let's not forget that the women are likely to outlive us anyhow.
This article is cross-posted at Dr. Breus's Blog, The Insomnia Blog.
Related Topics:
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have discovered that poor sleep is linked to greater psychological distress (no surprise there) and higher levels of biomarkers that increase your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. No surprise there, either, because it's long been reported that sleep deprivation can have tremendous health consequences.
But here's the surprising part about the study. These associations are discriminating - they are much stronger in women than in men. So it's riskier to be a sleepless woman than a sleep-deprived man.
Women sleep worse and suffer more than men.
Research like this is trying to catch up to anecdotal evidence. Women are twice as likely as men to report problems with sleep, but most sleep studies in the past have focused on men.
I'm glad to see this changing as more studies with an equal focus on both sexes are performed, allowing us to really see differences between men and women. And no, I'm not trying to make this a competition between the sexes. I'm hoping that studies like this help us as doctors to target and treat sleep troubles better in the future.
The researchers here found that about 40 percent of the men and the women who participated in the study were classified as poor sleepers. These people have frequent problems falling asleep and staying asleep.
But while their sleep quality ratings were similar, men and women had dramatically different risk profiles. The women had greater feelings of hostility, depression, and anger. They also showed signs of being at a much higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
Can't sleep? Blame your hormones.
The real question, though, is WHY are women more at risk? Why the difference? It could be a number of things, all of which will need to be examined in future studies.
The biggest reason of all is probably related to hormonal differences and substances in the body that affect mood, inflammation, insulin balance, and of course, sleep. Examples include the amino acid tryptophan and hormone melatonin that help regulate sleep, as well as serotonin in the brain, which is a cornerstone to mood. So I guess this gives women another shot at blaming their hormones.
But it's not out of your control, because with this news comes the obvious antidote: get restful sleep. Be healthier. (And thinner, sexier, and more energetic, too. That's a stronger selling point, I think!)
Now, for the men out there, this study does not give you permission to shun sleep. It's still dangerous to let yourself live off restless nights. And let's not forget that the women are likely to outlive us anyhow.
This article is cross-posted at Dr. Breus's Blog, The Insomnia Blog.
Related Topics:
- The Secret Causes of Insomnia: What Every Woman Should Know About Sleep Problems
- WebMD Video: Women - Get a Better Night's Sleep
18 Comments:
I have to say the quality of my sleep has decreased since I got married. My husband snores so much I can't fall or stay asleep. Yet, he is insulted if I sleep elsewhere. Now, I am experiencing memory issues just from being so tired!
For the lady with the snoring husband, I have one to. Tried everything for a good night sleep. Earplugs and prescription sleeping pills. They did not work. His snoring rumble the bed with each snore. Yes, I did sleep in another room and yes it did cause problems but when your work performance at your jobs slack and its start to affect your paycheck what is one to do. My husband has the CPAP machine and that was a struggle he does uses it and that when i sleep in the bed but the moment that it comes off I am in the next room. For those of you who said that you are not trying hard to sleep try sleeping with a snorer who doesn't see that he/she is the PROBLEM!!!
I had to quit taking HRP because of lumps in my breast and because my sister developed estrogen related breast cancer. So now I wake up on fire in a sweat soaked bed, kick all the covers off, turn the air conditioner on high, change the bed, shower off and go to sleep. Next, I wake up freezing and pull the covers on, turn the air off and go back to sleep. Shortly I will begin the "bed on fire" pattern again. I have tried all all kinds of teas, herbs, no alcohol, no caffiene, etc. My days are as bad but I can cope better by drinking gallons of ice water, wearing sleeveless blouses and generally being in control. Nights are a nightmare. I wake up so tired I often sit on the edge of the bed and cry before I get up and begin my day.
I don't think you can blame that so quickly on hormonal variation for women. Did they control for factors such as whether the women were married, working, had children, age, etc? If a woman has a sleeping disorder and is running a family, works, etc, then she may feel more stress to keep it all going. If a man goes to work and comes home and sits on the couch- he may be able to get by better than the woman who has to do it all. Let's face, women, whether they are working or not, still do a lion's share of running a house.
Brian
I have experienced severe insomnia since I left an abusive husband and had a breakdown. I was prescribed sleep medications but feel now I am dependent on them. Over the counter meds don't help. Even a shrink hasn't been able to help. To add to the problem, I live with a 80 yr. old father. Anybody got advise?
I had trouble with sleeping since my adult son was diagnosed as being Bipolar I. He will not stay med compliant dues to lack of insight Agoroposia it is called (sp?) This has been going on for over 7 yrs. I was given Valium to sleep and for bad nerves etc, after a short while I realized that was like throwing water on the fire bell. I have now come to hate the illness (not my son) and it either the illness or me and now realize it is sure not going to be me, I will not give into that illness. Since that I sleep a little better, but there are days though. I persevere though
Mother of BP son
I haven't been able to sleep well in about two years. I am currently on my third medication. Just like the rest, it only works for a little while. To my knowledge there is no long term medication. After a while everything stops working. It is frustrating. This is the longest bout of insomnia I have ever had. At this point I am self medicating with marijuana to sleep. I need to go back to my doctor.
My husband & I have been sleeping in seperate bedrooms for a year and a half now and are getting along better then ever! Why? Because we are both sleeping much better and when one of us has trouble sleeping we can do things (read, watch TV, or just toss & turn) without interupting the other's sleep. We have a very active sex life and neither of us feels sleeping apart is a threat to our relationship. It's really cute on a Sunday morning when my husband 'phones' me and says, "your room or mine?".
i can relate to the woman with the"bed on fire". i too wake up or just stay up all thru the night, soaked in sweat, burning up. I turn the fan on me, cool down, then I'm, freezing. I cover up then BAM here comes another one...and this goes on all night long, I get no sleep at all when all is said in done. I get them in the day too but not as bad it seems. I tried HRT and it made my heart rate and blood pressure go thru the roof. i really don't know what step to take next...I'm only 46...and just ready to throw in the towel so to speak. But i can't , i have a 26 year old disabled son that takes 24/7 care, and i hold down a full time job as a waitress in a high volume theme park ...HELP PLEASE!!
I'm 45 yrs old and for the past 5 yrs I have had problems sleeping since I got remarried. It has only got worse in the past 3 yrs. I'm on alot of meds for fibromayalgia plus a yr ago I developed type 2 diabites.I've gain over 100 lbs. I tke enough meds to knock out a horse!! ( so to speak). Stress from not resting has me so sress that I can not sleep. I o swell up in my stomach, legs and feet. Right now I've got 2 hrs of sleep in the past 48 hrs. I'm honestly about to lose it.Reasing about others does help but I'm still up! If anyone has any advice or help PLEASE let me know....
Sincerely,
A Desperate Housewife
Many people who do not sleep well are suffering from sleep apnea. Especially if overweight at all. I am overweight and woke up exhausted, woke up many times a night, and never felt rested.
A CPAP machine helped me. I give my toddler melatonin (over the counter) to help her sleep through the night.
There are also bio-identical hormone replacements, which are supposedly not as dangerous as "real" HRT's.
Many pharmacies offer the "spit test", where you can send off your saliva to see what all is wrong with you.
I start vomiting got hospitalize when i came out the hospital i develop a sleeping problem,never had a problem sleeping, i am so confused i keep going to the emergency room like 8 times now ,sleeping pills i got them like crazy none of them work my neurology told me i have a chemical inbalance in my brain.I stay up for 4 days no sleep at all i try sleeping i wont get any rest at all, i cry so many nights this damages my whole life, i left my boyfriend thats how this sleeping problem affects me, my mom and my whole family are struck by my this i cant go to work sometimes, i feel like im going to die .I start feeling my heart to see if its pumping ,im tired, weak and frustrated i am not happy anymore i feel like my life is over is like i dont have any emotional feelings again, my head feel like it is going to explode, i try going to church,but the way i feel is like im being torture life is just different now before i was a going out person im 23 and now i dont even care about having fun. my pain is too much to bear i wish i never had to go through this at all i pray night and day for god to help me, doctors they cant help me, been there done that but i am not giving up. God dont give us more than we can bear
These days difficulty falling asleep seems to be an everyday occurrence. It’s just that some days are even worse than others. Here are a few things that help me.. First thing I do is walk by myself. It doesn’t have to be an hour walk. Sometimes I’ll go out for only fifteen minutes. I get to think things over without any outside distractions and decide what issues (personal or business), to clear up or resolve first. Just being outside in the fresh air is also very relaxing!
To the woman who has night sweats a couple of times a night, you will find this helpful. The next thing I do is use an aromatherapy eye pillow, that I keep in the freezer. I find it to be extremely relaxing and a terrific way to clear my thoughts and get me in a better frame of mind. The eye pillow blocks out any light and allows me to just unwind. The weight of the flax-seed inside the aromatherapy eye pillow applies the perfect acupressure on my temples and eyes. The flax seed hold the coldness in and is very soothing. It’s great for headaches as well. You can find them in a lot of specialty stores and also online. I know that lavender is very soothing and calming but I use peppermint. It just opens up my sinuses and helps me breathe so much better. That fact alone makes it easier for me to fall asleep. The one I use I found online at A Touch Of Satin. Their website is http://www.atouchofsatin.com if you’re interested. They had a page on their site that talked about the benefits of the different scents. You might want to read what they say about them.
I hope my suggestions help! Let know what you think.
To all of you who sleep with those that snore, I was honestly ready to declare myself temporarily insane and smother my husband with his pillow. His dr. wanted him to go to a sleep center but yes, men occassionally have issues with admitting something is wrong. I also decided that if we slept in separate rooms, why should we stay married. That did get his attention but my only recourse was kicking him everytime he started to snore. And when I say "snore", this may not be considered an average snore, but closer to a cat with talied slammed in a door. Due to my allergies I purchased an air purifier. It was the best thing that I ever did. I sleep more soundly and the noise drowns out his snoring. It has actually decreased the snoring to an extent. This make not work for everyone, but it might have saved my marriage and me from being locked up.
I have been on sleeping pills for the last 11 years straight since being diagnosed and treated for breast cancer when I was 30. I have tried all the medications out there for depression and for chronic insomnia. Over 4 years nothing has helped the depression and now I am finding the sleeping pills don't work. Not even when my doctor prescribed double the dose of Ambien at night, I still can't sleep. And now I am having significant trouble in the memory department, which is unacceptable in my line of work. I need to sleep and remember alot of details or people could get seriously hurt/injured. I had no problems sleeping before the cancer and now wonder if my only hope is at a sleep center. How do I convince my doctor that this information would be beneficial, I want to be off all sleep medicines this year because I can't live this way anymore. Please help give hope to this 41 year old cancer survivor. Any suggestions for sleep centers near Knoxville, TN?
I sincerely understand all the non-sleepers. I've had terrible back problems since I had my two children. Every night I take Tylenol pm to fall asleep and pray to God each night that I stay asleep (real talk). I toss and turn all night and periodically wake up thinking about absolutely nothing important or things I can do nothing about at the time if at all. I'm aggrivated, moody and tend to shut out people that I love when I don't get enough rest. I'm tired of being tired.
I am having trouble sleeping,also. Snoring husband, night sweats, ets. I can't take sleeping meds so my dr. put me on the lowest dosage of serequel. It's used for bipolar which I think all women over 40 are. It does help me sleep and sometimes I take melatonin and it really helps. I'm fixing to go to my Pharm. and do the saliva hormone test and get my hormones fixed. Good luck to all
I have trouble sleeping. I have found this to help - earplugs, a night eyemask, room darkening shades and a white noise machine...it helps w/ the snoring hubby.
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