Why do men and women sleep differently? Experts answer

Understanding the differences between how men and women sleep is essential for maintaining good mental and physical health. Experts spill the beans on why do men and women sleep differently

Sleep can vary considerably from person to person and is influenced by a wide range of factors and the pattern of sleep is different between a male and a female where according to health experts, females tend to have a longer sleep latency that means they take a longer duration to fall asleep. At the same time it has been found that females have in general a lower sleep quality and more sleep fragmentation as compared to their male counterparts.

Why do men and women sleep differently? Experts answer (Photo by Gary Barnes on Pexels)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sheetal Chaurasia, Consultant - Pulmonary Medicine at Manipal Hospital Whitefield, shared, “The pattern and presentation of sleep related disorders like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome are different are different in male and females. The reason for these differences is multi factorial.” According to her, the reasons include:

1. Hormonal factors - One of the reasons females may have disturbed sleep during pregnancy and menstrual cycle.

2. Variation in sleep cycle - Women and men have variations in sleep architecture. Women accumulate more time in deep sleep (stage 3) and spend less time in stage 1, which is the lightest sleep.

3. Circadian rhythm - The internal clock, Studies have found differences in circadian rhythms for men and women.

4. Socio-cultural and geographical differences affect male and female in a diverse way and has a multifactorial complex correlation with sleeping patterns and habits.

Dr Hari Kishan, General Physician at Kamineni Hospitals in Hyderabad's LB Nagar, explained, “There are many differences in the way men and women sleep. Women tend to suffer from insomnia more often than men and experience mild sleep deprivation more frequently. This can be attributed to the basic difference between men's and women's circadian rhythms, which affects how much restorative sleep each gender gets. When it comes to sleeping patterns, women have lower times of peak alertness than men, meaning they need better quality of sleep in order to function optimally during their waking hours.”

He added, “Women tend to have more complex circadian rhythms, meaning their sleep times are regulated by an internal clock, while men's are regulated by external clocks such as light and noise. This leads to significant differences in melatonin levels throughout the day which can affect how long people stay asleep for. As a result, there are distinct differences in when and how men and women sleep due to their complex brain functions and circadian clocks which regulate our sleep cycles.”

The health expert elaborated, “Men and women sleep differently due to their unique brain functions. Men tend to suffer from fewer sleep disorders, sleep more deeply for fewer hours, are less likely to experience intrusive thoughts that can disrupt their sleep, and have less health risks associated with insomnia. Women on the other hand require more time in bed in order to achieve good quality deep restorative sleep due to the changes that occur within their body during various stages of their menstrual cycle. As a result they are more vulnerable than men when it comes to suffering from poor quality or lack of adequate restorative sleep which can lead to an array of health risks such as depression, fatigue and anxiety. Therefore understanding the differences between how men and women sleep is essential for maintaining good mental and physical health.”