Men and Sleep

There are some significant differences in sleep cycles and sleep disorder risks for men and women. Here are the important points you need to know about male sleep health.  

1. Men get less sleep than women. 

Men get less and lower-quality sleep than women according to objective data. They experience lighter sleep, characterized by less time spent in deeper sleep stages, lower sleep efficiency, and more arousals¹. Also, they consistently report getting less sleep than women². 

Why it matters: Sleep is vital to keep you working optimally--mentally and physically--during your waking hours. Resist the temptation to cut back on sleep! Stick to a regular sleep schedule and give your body as much rest as it needs. 

2...But men report fewer sleep disturbances. 

Even though men get fewer sleeping hours and spend less time in higher-stage sleep, they report sleeping better than women! Subjective surveys show that men perceive having a higher sleep quality than women³. Also, they are about half as likely to report insomnia⁴. 

Why it matters: The good news is that once your head hits the pillow, you're more likely to experience sound sleep. However, it's important to pay attention to potential disruptions in your sleep; keep reading.

3. Men are at increased risk of sleep apnea. 

Men are twice as likely as women to have this serious sleep disorder⁵. Men tend to have thicker necks and accumulate more fat around the throat, which increases the risk of the airway being blocked off during sleep. In fact, being a middle-aged male is one of the main risk factors of sleep apnea. 

Why it matters: You could be at risk of a serious and underdiagnosed sleep disorder. We recommend reading up on sleep apnea and looking over this list of common symptoms. If you are experiencing these factors, you should have a sleep study to check for the sleep disorder. 

4. Poor sleep in men leads to sexual dysfunction. 

People with erectile dysfunction are more than twice than likely as their normal counterparts to have sleep apnea⁵. Learn more about sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction.

Testosterone is produced at night, so poor sleep can lead to decreased testosterone levels. A study⁶ conducted at the University of Chicago showed that even in young men, if their sleep period was cut down to only five hours, their testosterone levels decreased by 10 to 15%. Testosterone levels decline with age and decrease with poor sleep across age groups.

Why it matters: If you want to use your bedroom for more than sleeping, it's important to get enough sleep! 

The big picture

Some sleep facts apply to both men and women. For more information on general good sleep habits that hold true for anyone, see our list of good sleep habits. 

Back to sleep education

Sources: 

1) Susan Redline, MD, MPH, et. al. "The Effects of Age, Sex, Ethnicity, and Sleep-Disordered Breathing on Sleep Architecture." Journal of the American Medical Association.

2) Charts from the American Time Use Survey. "Average sleep times per day, by age and sex." Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3) Krishnan V, et. al. "Gender differences in sleep disorders." Medline. 

4) Hale Lauren, et. al. "Does mental health history explain gender disparities in insomnia symptoms among young adults?" Pubmed Central.

5) Medical News Today. "Studies Link Quality Of Sleep To Erectile Dysfunction, Other Urologic Conditions." Reporting on the study "Erectile Dysfunction Is Independently Associated With Sleep Apnea In A Large Population Of Middle-Aged Men", presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA). 

6) Rachel Leproult, PhD, et. al. "Effect of 1 Week of Sleep Restriction on Testosterone Levels in Young Healthy Men." The Journal of the American Medical Association.