Why do women lack Zzz’s?
It seems that women of all ages and from all walks of life have something in common – lack of sleep. No, it’s not only moms with babies who suffer from sleep deprivation. It’s practically everyone of this gender.
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation:
- 60% of women feel they don’t get enough sleep. A few nights of good solid sleep a week were all they can afford.
- 43% of women feel sleepy at daytime and this sleepiness interferes with their daily activities.
There are many reasons why women don’t get enough sleep and these reasons might be physical as well as psychological.
Physical causes of sleep disorders are mainly due to hormones and may include menstrual cramps and hot flashes.
Psychological causes are more complex and not easily identifiable but one is for sure: women tend to worry too much.
Lack of sleep is linked to many health problems including unhealthy weight gain and cardiovascular disorders. Women’s hearts are shown to be more susceptible compared to men’s hearts when it comes to the effects of sleep deprivation.
Sleep experts recommend that “breaking the worry habit” is the best way to improve sleep. One way of doing this is by mindfulness meditation. Another is by preparing a worry list before sleeping. On one side of a piece of paper is a list of all your worries. On the other side are the possible solutions.
You know what? I think I’ll give the worry list technique a try. Good night!
Source: HealthDay News, 22 June 2008
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