As someone that has struggled with insomnia, I love to talk about sleep. I find myself asking others, “How’d you sleep?” so often. When something is important to you—getting quality sleep—it tends to surface itself in your conversations more often. As an active woman who is passionate about hormone health, it’s even more critical for me (and for most of my readers!).
In general, the recommended dosage of sleep is 7-9 hours, but this does vary based on the individual. For starters, a great time to check-in with yourself and see if you’re sleeping enough is late morning: How is energy feeling? Are you able to get to work easily? How do you handle situations? How is your mood? Waiting until the afternoon to assess your energy levels is not recommended as drowsiness is more common after lunch.
Did you know women need MORE sleep than men? Probably not—but it’s TRUE. This study shows that women need 11 more minutes on average than men. Women generally have more factors impacting their sleep quality, necessitating the need for an extra boost. Some of the key factors that impact sleep quality are hormone fluctuations, depression and anxiety, and sleep disorders.
Let’s talk hormones first. As female hormones fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, it can dramatically impact one’s ability to fall and stay asleep. This is especially true as women approach menopause.
Progesterone: While progesterone is often associated with promoting sleep, its levels rise and fall during the menstrual cycle, and the decline in progesterone levels during the late luteal phase can disrupt sleep.
Estrogen: Estrogen also fluctuates, and its decline during the late luteal phase, along with the progesterone drop, can contribute to sleep problems. High levels of estrogen, especially around ovulation, can also cause insomnia.
Melatonin: Some research suggests that melatonin production may decrease during the luteal phase, further impacting sleep.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, both of which often cause insomnia. If you’re anything like me, I’m prone to anxiousness around a host of things: deadlines, a busy schedule, flying, upcoming important events, overthinking, etc. This seems to be a commonality among women, and can be exacerbated depending on where we are in our cycle, which can also impact our sleep.
Sleep disorders are also incredibly common among women (more common than in men!) and become even more common as women age. Obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome are standouts.
