Do women need more sleep than men?

eight hours nightly recommendation applies to everyone, sometimes it feels like we ladies can use a little more shut eye. So we tapped experts to answer the burning question: Do women need more sleep than men? The answer — and reason why — might surprise you! Keep reading to learn why women may need more sleep than men, plus experts’ top sleep tips to address whatever sleep woe is bothering you.

Do women need more sleep than men?

Across the board, it’s hard to tell if every woman needs more sleep than men. But clinical psychologist and sleep expert Michael Breus PhD says yes, women typically do need more sleep each night than men. “The general theory is that women are better at multitasking than men, and that requires more energy, and therefore, in order to recover, women may need roughly 20 minutes more on average.” 

Plus, as we reach menopause, a whole crop of sleep disorders and sleep-disrupting symptoms begins to pop up — like hot flashes, mood changes and an increased risk of sleep apnea. “I’d say two thirds of women going through any type of pre-, peri- or post-menopause have some level of sleep disruption,” estimates Dr. Breus. So while our actual time spent sleeping may be similar to that of men, it can often feel like we need to sleep in later due to middle-of-the-night wakeups and disruption to our circadian rhythms.

Why good sleep is critical for women

There’s a cascade of healthy perks you can get from simply improving your sleep. “Better sleep can lead to a better mood, more energy, improved memory and better health,” says Shelby Harris, PsyD, Director of Sleep Health at Sleepopolis. “For post-menopausal women, it can also reduce menopause symptoms and lower the risk of chronic health problems.”

Top sleep tips

No matter what’s keeping you from feeling refreshed after a night’s sleep, there’s likely a natural remedy that can help you sneak in that extra 20 minutes.

Racing thoughts? Try yoga and mindfulness

Increased stress is common during menopause, leaving many of us with a “wired and tired” feeling that keeps us from drifting off. Dr. Breus notes that many common sleep remedies won’t help much for women for whom menopause keeps them up. “Making the room cool or dark or quiet is not going to change the biological situation,” he explains. 

What will help? Techniques like yoga and mindfulness meditation. “These methods help calm your mind and reduce stress, making it easier to fall asleep,” says Dr. Harris. Indeed, middle-aged and older adults who used mindfulness improved their sleep score 154 percent more than people who learned about sleep hygiene.

Hot flashes? Consider your mattress

Certain fabrics and materials retain more heat, so when you have a middle-of-the-night hot flash, they make it harder to cool back off. One of the biggest offenders? “If you have a memory foam mattress topper or pillow, get rid of it,” advises Dr. Breus. The material is very dense, so it absorbs and retains more body heat than other common mattress materials. In fact, research in PloS One found that memory foam can make it harder for your core body temperature to drop, a key aspect of restful sleep. 

To stay cool throughout the night, Dr. Breus suggests looking for moisture-wicking, breathable bedding, like those made from percale cotton or Tencel. Mattress toppers or pillows with cooling gel inserts can also help.

Tossing and turning? Keep a consistent sleep schedule

“The exact time you wake up determines exactly when your melatonin will be produced at night,” says Dr. Breus. He explains that a specific cell in our eyes—called a melanopsin cell — tells our brain to stop producing melatonin as soon as we open our eyes. Plus, it sets a timer in our brains to start producing the sleep-inducing hormone 14 hours later. So if you wake up at 6 a.m. every day, you’ll start producing melatonin around 8 p.m. (but Dr. Breus notes that it takes about 90 minutes to build up to a point where you’ll feel the effects).

Studies show that inconsistent bedtimes lead to poor sleep quality, while maintaining a consistent schedule can help you fall asleep faster. Plus, consistent bedtimes have been linked to a 30 percent lower mortality risk and lower diabetes risk.

“If all people did was wake up at the exact same time seven days a week, their sleep would probably get between 40 to 60 percent better within seven days,” says Dr. Breus. To find the best time for you to fall asleep and wake up based on your genetics, visit chronoquiz.com/.

Can’t stay asleep? Limit these 3 things

Middle-of-the-night wakeups can happen for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common is nocturia, or frequent nighttime urination. As many as 60 percent of older women wake up twice or more to use the restroom at night, Journal of Urology research asserts. The simplest way to avoid bathroom wake ups? Limiting fluid intake. Dr. Breus suggests, “Three hours before bed stop drinking alcohol, two hours before bed stop eating food and one hour before bed, stop all fluids.” He cautions that folks taking prescription medications or with diabetes should consult with their doctor before doing so.

But when you wake up thinking you need the bathroom, Dr. Breus says you should consider for a moment if you really need to go. “A lot of people will look at the clock, get a level of anxiety, do the mental math and say to themselves, ‘Well, I’m up, so I might as well go pee,’” he explains. “This is about the worst thing you can do.” That’s because getting out of bed will cause our heart rate — which needs to be at 60 BPM or lower for us to be asleep — to spike, so we’ll have even more trouble falling asleep when we come back to bed.

Feel foggy in the morning? Get a dose of sunshine

If you frequently wake up groggy, a dose of morning sun may be just what you need. “Fifteen minutes of sunshine not only helps remove brain fog, but it also helps promote vitamin D, which is a circadian pacemaker,” says Dr. Breus. That means it helps slow down production of sleep-inducing melatonin and sets the rhythm for the hormonal shifts we experience throughout the day. In one Journal of Sleep Research study, people exposed to bright light in the morning felt more alert and slept better overall. Separate research reveals that morning sunlight can also boost brain power throughout the day.

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