Think Women Sleep Worse Than Men? You’re Right

And some insomnia symptoms may be more worrisome than others. In a study of more than 2,500 adults, ages 51 to 88 — two-thirds of whom were women — those who often had trouble falling asleep were more likely than their peers to have memory problems and other signs of cognitive decline when examined 14 years later. But the researchers didn’t find the same problems in people who woke during the night, woke too early, or felt unrested in the morning, according to the study published in Sleep in 2022.

The findings raise hopes that treatments aimed at helping people fall asleep could lower their dementia risk, but more study is needed, the researchers said. 

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Insomnia isn’t the only sleep problem that can affect women’s brains. Researchers have also learned that obstructive sleep apnea is an under-recognized and undertreated problem in women, says Michael Grandner, director of the sleep and health research program at the University of Arizona, Tucson. People with obstructive sleep apnea have trouble maintaining open airways as they sleep, leading to interrupted breathing during the night. Common symptoms include snoring, gasping for breath and daytime fatigue. Women with sleep apnea may also feel depressed, anxious or irritable during the day, according to the Society for Women’s Health Research.

When the condition goes untreated, the short-term effects can be “profound,” Grandner says, and can include problems with thinking, memory and focus — and even an increase in car accidents.

“In the longer term, it does seem to increase the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia,” he says. Early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, especially in midlife, “could make a huge difference” over time, Grandner says.

How can women protect their sleep and brain health? Sleep experts suggest:

• Find a healthy sleeping and waking rhythm. This includes going to bed and getting up at the same time each day. When you stick to routines, you help your brain know when it’s time to sleep and time to be awake, Zee says. Finding time to exercise, but not too close to bedtime, is good advice too. Also, go outside and experience natural light each day, she says — that also helps your body clock work as it should.

• Try getting just a little more sleep — and don’t feel bad if you seem to need more shut-eye than the men in your life. A study published in Sleep in 2020 cites “both a biological and social basis” for why men on average sleep less than women. All adults need at least seven hours a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• If you are struggling with hot flashes and night sweats, try lowering the temperature in your bedroom and wearing moisture-wicking pajamas to stay more comfortable. Improved sleep may also reduce your hot flashes, Zee says.

• Pay attention to how you feel and function during the day. If you are constantly sleepy, lack energy or feel irritable for reasons you cannot pin down, suspect poor sleep — even if you haven’t noticed trouble sleeping.

• If you suspect a sleep disorder, seek help. An effective treatment for insomnia is a form of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, experts agree. And while the best-known therapy for sleep apnea is wearing a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) mask, many women have milder symptoms that can be treated with a simple mouthpiece that repositions the jaw, Grandner says.

The good news: If you’re struggling with sleep, you’re not destined to spend decades staring at the ceiling. “It’s probably going to get better,” Grandner says, “and if it doesn’t, it’s probably a condition that’s highly treatable.”