Do Men & Women Sleep Differently? Welcome to the Battle of the Bed!

Men, women & sleep – all is fair in love and war

Sharing a bed with a partner can be as fulfilling as it is challenging. There’s no arguing how comforting it is to reach for someone in the middle of the night and be rewarded with a warm snuggle. But if your sleep schedules differ, chaos can quickly come between you, your partner and a good night’s sleep. Night owls, for example, who share a bed with early risers struggle to find harmonious sleep together. And if you have erratic sleep patterns, snore or suffer from a sleep disorder and your partner doesn’t, you’ll both suffer.

But do men sleep differently than women? And if they do, is it possible to find peace for both? Tired and grumpy can’t possibly lead to a happy relationship – no matter what kind of mattress you sleep on so we trolled the Internet in search of wisdom. To help you and your partner sleep better together, of course.

You can thank us by getting the sleep you need to make you both happy. You’re welcome…

Sleep & the battle of the sexes

If we want to address the G-rated version of the “who’s better in bed?” question, let’s talk about sleep quality for men versus women. The Better Sleep Council gives the edge to the guys based on the latest research, but, and it’s a big one, only by 3 points according to the data. Guys said that they greeted the morning feeling refreshed and ready to seize the day. This is despite them looking to booze to help them fall asleep more frequently than women. Read more: restonic.com

Gender differences in sleep disorders

Women have better sleep quality compared with men, with longer sleep times, shorter sleep-onset latency and higher sleep efficiency. Despite this, women have more sleep-related complaints than men. The amount of slow-wave sleep decreases with age in men and women. Gender differences in normal sleep may underlie the observed differences in risk of sleep disorders. Studies of insomnia support a female predominance, with increased divergence of prevalence between men and women with older age. Read more: National Library of Medicine

He slept, she slept – sex differences in sleep

Women suffer from insomnia at two to three times the rate that men do. Men, on the other hand, are twice as likely to have their slumber spoiled by sleep apnea, a chronic condition characterized by brief episodes of restricted breathing. The gap in those rates could partly be due to doctors who don’t fully understand the disorder. Women may experience symptoms of sleep apnea differently than men, and they don’t describe their symptoms in the same terms as men. Read more: webmd.com

Men & women – different when it comes to sleep

Women may reap real benefits from deeper sleep, but there is also evidence that they are in other ways more vulnerable than men to sleep disorders, and to the health risks associated with lack of sleep. The more we understand about how gender influences sleep, the better we’ll be able to develop targeted, effective remedies for sleep problems for both men and women. Read more: sleepdoctor.com

Sleep – the real key to a long term, loving relationship?

Could sleep be the secret to a long-term, loving relationship? Sleep can pose a number of challenges to relationships. Poor sleep can make for difficult sleeping conditions for couples. The tossing and turning of insomnia and the noisy, disrupted sleep of snoring and sleep apnea don’t just diminish the quality of sleep for the individuals with the disorder. They also rob partners of restful sleep. Night owls and larks who share a bed may also have difficulty marrying their sleep schedules. If you’re an early-to-bed, early-to-rise type, having a partner who likes to read or watch television late into the night can interfere with sleep. A new study suggests that poor sleep may contribute to a lack of appreciation between romantic partners. Read more: psychologytoday.com

Sleep disorders affect men and women differently

A new study suggests that men and women are affected differently by sleep disorders. Results show that women are more likely than men to have more severe symptoms of depression, trouble sleeping at night, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Women also have a higher degree of difficulty concentrating and remembering things due to sleepiness or tiredness. In contrast, male snoring was more likely than female snoring to force bed partners to sleep in different rooms. Read more: sciencedaily.com

How women sleep differently than men – and why it matters

Do women and men really sleep differently? Women take longer to fall asleep. They report feeling more sleepiness. They have an increased risk of insomnia. And they even spend more time in deep sleep, compared to men. But the understanding of why sex differences in sleep exist — and how these differences may affect treatment — lags far behind, according to a new report from the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR). Read more: huffpost.com

Rest well & wake up ready to go!

Better sleep gives rise to better mornings, bringing your goals into focus and dreams within reach. Hungry for more sleep info? Dig into these posts:

• Time for a night divorce?
• Starting your day sleep deprived?
• Why sleep is a powerful weapon against the flu