Insomnia is more frequent in women

• April 19, 2024

As it happens in almost all diseases, disorders or alterations of health, there is a difference between women and men. The 2005 Dream of America Survey, from the American Dream Foundation (NSF, for its acronym in English), revealed that women, more than men, have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep; Because of this, the female sex experiences more drowsiness during the hours of the day.

The unique biological conditions in women, such as menstrual cycle , pregnancy and the menopause they make a difference Understanding the effects of changes in your hormonal levels, as well as environmental factors and habits in your lifestyle, can help you to enjoy a well-deserved night of good sleep .

Menstrual cycle with alterations

According to the NSF survey "Women and Sleep", 50% of women report sleep disturbances during two or three days of menstruation, due to pain, irritability, cramping, breast tenderness and swelling.

Progesterone, which increases after ovulation, can cause some to feel sleepy and fatigued. However, poor quality sleep is more likely to occur at the beginning of each menstrual cycle, when bleeding begins.

Exercise can relieve some premenstrual symptoms and increase the amount of deep sleep. It is important to avoid foods and beverages high in sugar, caffeine and alcohol.

The alterations increase in pregnancy

The same survey indicated that 78% of pregnant women reported more sleep than usual. Sleep disturbances are more frequent while pregnancy progresses.

Changes in sleep occur from 13 to 20% in women in the first trimester of pregnancy, while it increases from 66 to 90% during the third trimester.

When nausea is not at the beginning of pregnancy, is the size of the belly or the movement of the product: the fact is that almost all women usually sleep little or badly.

During the third trimester it is advisable to sleep on the left side to allow the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus and kidneys, drink plenty of fluids during the day, but decrease them before going to bed; prevent heartburn and consume frequent and soft snacks; Above all, learn techniques relaxation Y breathing .