Ladies, have you ever laid awake, tossing and turning while your partner was snoring soundly next to you?

This is a fairly common experience among women, and there may be an explanation for it. In fact, there are several significant sleep differences between men and women. In this post, we'll go over the most important points about female sleep patterns, sleep disorder risk, and changes across your lifetime, and give you some tips and information about getting the best sleep possible.

Top 5 Sleep Facts for Women

1. Women sleep more than men.

For almost every age category, women report sleeping more than their male counterparts¹. Plus, they have better sleep quality! A study found that women spend more time in deeper sleep stages and have a lower number of arousals².

Why it’s important: Based on objective measures of sleep quality, women are sleeping well. Unfortunately, the numbers aren’t everything; keep reading.

2…But they report more sleep disturbances.

In subjective surveys of sleep quality, women consistently report worse-quality sleep than men³. Plus, insomnia is twice as common in women⁴.

Why is it that on average women experience better sleep, yet report more disturbances? It could be that hormonal changes during puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause lead to periods of poor sleep. Another theory⁵ is that women tend to have more after-hours responsibility for family members, which can lead to sleep interruption.

Why it's important: Women may be at risk for insomnia or other chronic sleep disturbances. You can increase your chances of getting a good night's sleep by following our basic sleep tips here.

3. Women undergo changes to their sleep patterns over their lifetime.

Starting with puberty, women can begin experiencing changing sleep patterns. For instance, it's no secret that menstrual symptoms disrupt sleep. In fact, 1/3 of women report disrupted sleep as a result of having their period⁷.

The onset of menopause can result in changes relating to a woman's sleep health. For example, the prevalence of insomnia increases dramatically in post-menopausal women⁷. Risk for obstructive sleep apnea also increases⁸.

Why it's important: As hormonal changes occur, women may experience changes in sleep quality and duration. It is important to talk to your doctor about these changes to make sure you are free of sleep disorders and getting the best sleep possible.

4. Women are underdiagnosed for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is less prevalent in women than men, but still, women are seriously underdiagnosed. One study estimates that women make up 1/3 of people with sleep apnea, but only 1/9 of tested patients⁶. Shockingly, over 90% of women with sleep apnea are undiagnosed⁷.

Why the discrepancy? Sleep apnea is often represented as a man's disorder, and screening has historically been geared towards men. Women tend to report a different set of symptoms, with an emphasis on insomnia, unrefreshing sleep, fatigue, and even depression. Learn more about the underdiagnosis of sleep apnea in women.

Why it's important: Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that the vast majority of affected women do not know they have. If you chronically experience poor sleep and daytime sleepiness or match any of the sleep apnea symptoms, you should talk to your doctor about a sleep study.

5. Good sleep increases fertility in women.

If you're trying to conceive, sleep is an important factor. One study found that women undergoing IVF who got 7-8 hours of sleep were significantly more likely to conceive than those who got less than 6 or more than 9 hours of slumber⁹. Conversely, couples who do not sleep enough can experience infertility problems.

Plus, increased sleep leads to increased libido in women.

Why it's important: Whether you're trying to conceive or not, getting enough sleep improves sexual function in women and leads to a happier bedroom.

6. The big picture

Some things hold true for all human beings, man or woman. You can significantly improve the quality of your sleep by just following good sleeping practice, like maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a restful sleeping environment, not using electronics before bed, and getting your recommended hours. If this doesn't work, it may be time to talk to your doctor seriously about the possibility of having a sleep disorder.