They go to bed at a later biological time because their clock is shifted earlier, eastward.
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Some women have trouble staying asleep, and a new small study may shed light on why. They analysed the sleep patterns and alertness of 15 men and 11 women for three days, paying attention to their circadian clocks, which control our sleep-wake cycles so that they are in tune with the day-night cycle, making us feel exhausted and alert at the right times of day. The researchers said that the findings of the study could explain why women’s sleep-wake cycle is nearly two hours ahead than that of men.
The non-profit organization, National Sleep Foundation, reported that women are more likely to have insomnia a few days a week compared to men that experience insomnia rarely.
This study is unique in that the researchers factored in women’s menstrual cycle phases and use of hormonal contraceptives which can impact sleep patterns.
The research also proves that women’s 24-hour circadian day also improves faster than men’s.
The study was reported September 12 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. They were isolated in windowless rooms for 36 hours while the researchers recorded the changes in melatonin levels, sleep, and alertness.
15 men and 11 women were recruited by the researchers for the study. They scheduled sleep opportunities at different times of day to see what people would do.
The women in the experiment had lower scores when it came to night alertness, compared to the men. The lights were turned on for waking up and turned off for sleeping. It may help explain why female shift workers have greater fatigue, sleepiness and risk for work-related injury, the study authors noted.
The study also reveals that women tend to be more vulnerable as the night ended. The scientists, whose paper is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, wanted to find out why women are 50% more likely to have problems sleeping at night than men. While the women’s body clocks were different from the men’s, they had similar “habitual bed and wake times”. Women are twice as inclined to experience insomnia or other sleep disturbances than men.
“Based on the findings, women are falling asleep when their brain and body are more prepared for sleep”, said UCLA’s Martin.
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Getting enough sleep is harder for women than men.
