Investigation by the National Sleep
Foundation, has revealed that women are worse sleepers than men. Its recent
survey found 63 per cent of women experience insomnia a few times a week,
compared with 54 per cent of men.
This difference - termed the gender sleep
gap - may be partly because women are biologically programmed to be lighter
sleepers. Waking up easily is a form of being on red alert so that a mother can
spring into action should her baby cry during the night.
What makes it even worse is that we tend to
need more sleep than men, at least an extra 20 minutes, according to Professor
Jim Horner, of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre.
‘Women tend to multi-task and so they use
more of their brain than men. Because of that, their need for sleep is
greater,’ he says.
So, what can we do to get some much-needed
rest? Here, we reveal the main causes of the gender sleep gap - and how to
overcome them.
DIETING
Men may be looking after their figures a
little better these days, but women still make up the majority of dieters.
So women are more likely to be fighting
late-night hunger pangs that can prevent them from getting to sleep - and they
may lie awake for longer rather than raid the fridge.
Independent dietician Dr Sarah Schenker
advises including carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index (GI) - foods that
release energy more slowly - as part of the evening meal.
‘It has been suggested that calories with a
low GI will help keep blood sugar levels stable,’ she says.
Low GI carbohydrates include wholegrain
basmati rice, kidney beans, chickpeas and potatoes.
HEARTBURN
Pregnant and menopausal women are more
vulnerable to heartburn than men. The condition - in which stomach acid
splashes back up into the oesophagus - is a particular problem at night.
During the day, acid may briefly enter the
oesophagus, but is quickly pulled back to the stomach by gravity. But at night,
when you are lying flat, acid tends to rest in the oesophagus for longer,
causing more pain and damage.
SLEEP GAP
The average adult sleeps for six hours and
36 minutes a night - one hour and 24 minutes less than recommended
Dr Steven Mann, consultant gastroenterologist
at Barnet Hospital in London, suggests avoiding alcohol, chocolate, coffee,
fizzy drinks, citrus fruit and spicy or fatty foods. ‘Eating smaller meals and
having your evening meal three to four hours before bedtime may help too,’ he
says.
Another way to reduce the chance of
heartburn is to raise your bed a little by stacking a couple of books under the
head end. If this doesn’t work, over-the-counter antacids can be taken to
neutralise stomach acids.
TEETH GRINDING
One in four Britons suffers from night-time
bruxism - teeth grinding - and the majority are women, according to
London-based dentist Dr Charles Ferber. The condition can cause jaw and neck
pain, which can disturb sleep.
Dr Ferber says that bruxism may have an
emotional trigger, since it offers an unconscious way to release stress.
‘It’s also common for women to get bruxism
around the menopause, pregnancy or certain stages of the menstrual cycle. This
combination of stress and hormones could raise the chances of women suffering
from it.’
What’s more, the consequences of grinding
teeth can be even more serious for women than men.
‘The muscles of the female jaw are weaker
than they are in men,’ says Dr Ferber.
‘This creates more pain and so this
increases the chance of disrupted sleep.’
It’s possible to manage symptoms by
sleeping in a mouth guard or mouth splints, available from your dentist.
‘Taking a holistic approach may also help,’
says Dr Ferber.
‘Find ways to reduce stress, such as
relaxing in a warm bath or not using a computer for an hour before going to
bed.’
Women are more likely to suffer from
headaches
HEADACHES
Women report having more headaches than men
- and are much more likely to be woken up by pain in the middle of the night.
Dr Andy Dowson, director of headache services at King’s College London,
explains that sudden, stabbing head pains in the night can be hypnic headaches
or ‘alarm clock headaches’.
‘These tend to affect more women than men,
and strike at the same time every night, usually between 1am and 3am,’ he says.
‘The throbbing pain begins abruptly and can
last from 15 minutes to six hours, though typically it is 30 to 60 minutes.’
Doctors are not sure what causes these
headaches. However, some research suggests that, counter-intuitively, drinking
caffeine in the evening may help prevent them.
The theory suggests caffeine may affect
pain pathways in the brain. If the pain is severe, your doctor may prescribe
painkillers.
RESTLESS LEGS
As many as one in ten people develop
restless legs syndrome, with twice as many women as men affected - though it’s
not clear why. Also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, the condition causes an
overwhelming urge to move the legs, along with a crawling sensation in the
feet, calves and thighs.
Symptoms become worse at night and can wake
sufferers.
According to Dr Nicholas Silver, a
consultant neurologist at the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool,
cutting out caffeine can help.
‘In my experience, 60 per cent of patients
find this disappears if they stop all forms of caffeine.’
TEMPERATURE
Women approaching or going through the
menopause can suffer night-time sweats, which can significantly disrupt sleep.
‘Night-time sweating is caused by a lack of
the hormone oestrogen,’ says Leila Hanna, consultant gynaecologist and
obstetrician at Queen Mary’s Hospital in London.
‘It’s thought this change in hormonal
balance affects a receptor in the brain, which is responsible for temperature
control in the body.’
Once woken up, women find it much harder to
get back to sleep than men, according to research at the University of Surrey
She suggests trying natural remedies such
as black cohosh or red clover. If these don’t work, consult your GP.
Conversely, women tend to feel the cold
more than men. Women’s bodies are quicker to direct blood inwards toward the
vital organs when it gets cold. This lack of blood in the hands and feet makes
them feel even colder.
Invest in an extra duvet for your side or
dream of your next holiday - according to University of Portsmouth research,
imagining a hot place can warm you up.
WORRYING
Once woken up, women find it much harder to
get back to sleep than men, according to research at the University of Surrey.
The study found 18 per cent of women had a
bad night’s sleep at least five days a week, compared with only 8 per cent of
men.
Most reported having difficulty sleeping
because they were worrying. A warm bath before bed is relaxing, and also means
you’ll experience a drop in body temperature when you get out of the water,
which helps the brain prepare for sleep.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you
can’t sleep, try to focus on staying awake. Research from the University of
Glasgow found that reverse psychology helped some insomniacs fall asleep.
HEAVYWEIGHTS
We all change sleeping position about 20
times a night, but men seem to shift around more than women, according to
Professor Jim Horne.
Since men tend to weigh more than women,
their movements are more likely to result in their partner being woken up.
‘Opt to sleep with separate duvets,’ says
Sammy Margo, a chartered physiotherapist.
Getting a bigger bed may also help -
especially zip and link beds, which join two single mattresses together.
Being heavier, men are also more likely to
snore. If night-time noise is ruining your rest, the only solution may be to banish
him to the spare room.
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