On average, I get about six hours of broken sleep every night (if I am lucky) and have been severely sleep deprived for around three and a half years now.
This is due to my toddler, who is still in the process of settling into his own room at night.
I AM SO TIRED ALL THE TIME!
I am sure other parents out there can relate to this. No, this is not a discussion on co-sleeping or the ‘crying it out’ parenting debate, but rather an admission that I am simply not getting nearly enough sleep to function at a reasonable level on a daily basis.
Now research proves that women generally do need more sleep then men.
According to Dr. Jim Horne , Britain’s leading expert in sleep science, in an article published in the Daily Mail , Horne explained that on average women need twenty more minutes of sleep than men. The researcher pointed out that women tend to multi-task and use more of their actual brain than men leading to a greater need for sleep. Essentially, the more you use your brain during the day, the more it needs to rest while asleep.
While women need more sleep than men, many are not getting the proper amount. There are several factors that may affect women’s quantity and quality of sleep:
Being woken up and moved around on the bed by the partner or wriggly child. (Men tend to be larger than women and children tend to sleep horizontally). Sleep disturbances during pregnancy due to excess weight and position of the foetus.
A tendency to sleep lightly and waking easier.
Disturbed sleep for feeding and caring for babies and children
Difficulty sleeping during menopause due to hot flashes. (Not me yet!)
Worrying about problems and losing sleep as a result.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends ; ‘combating insomnia by getting regular exercise, setting routine bed and wake times, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, and improving the sleep environment. If insomnia persists, women can talk to their doctors about sleep to determine other steps they can take to improve their sleep.’
I am dreaming of the day when I get consistent ongoing regular sleep, my brain function and productivity will go through the roof, I will be a super superwoman! Sigh……
What about you? Do you get enough sleep at night?
