Is it True that Women Are At Higher Risk to Sleep Disorders?

Marvin123 · Post by **Marvin123** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:48 am

Is it True that Women Are At Higher Risk to Sleep Disorders?

Yes, it is true that women are at higher risk to sleep disorder than men. Women are two times as likely to suffer from sleep disorders, such as falling and staying asleep, than men. Many reasons are to be examined.

The clinical definition of a sleep disorder is “an unsettling pattern of sleep that may include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at unsuitable times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep”.

There are four categories of sleep disorders:
Insomnia
Hypersomnia
Sleeping disruptive disorders
Having trouble sticking to a normal sleep pattern
Factors Responsible For Sleep Disorders in Women

There are many factors that may have impact the ordinary sleep cycle for women. Changes in hormone levels, stress, lifestyle illness, and sleep environment, pregnancy and hormone fluctuations associated with menstrual cycles, premenstrual sleep disturbances, psychosocial stress, depression, and anxiety have all been named as causes.

Pain, grief, and worry can disturb sleep, as can certain medical conditions, medications, and breathing disorders, in menopausal and postmenopausal women.
Pregnancy

Pregnancy, which of course only affects women, causes a whole host of sleep-disturbing symptoms. Some pregnant mothers are faced with their first introduction to sleep apnea during pregnancy. A lack of oxygen can become a real problem for mother and child and can cause low birth weight in newborns.

Frequent urination, fetal movements, heartburn, general discomfort, low back pain, snoring, leg cramps, nightmares, and sleep apnea are all part of pregnancy and can keep a mommy to be from getting her much needed shut-eye. Men, of course, do not have these issues to worry about.

Some more useful resource...http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog ... disorders/

Marvin.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 5:03 am

Marvin, did you write that blog? Possibly you're correct in that on a broader scale of sleep disorders women may show up in higher numbers, but as far as OSA itself goes, men are statistically (research proven) much more likely to suffer.

Offerocker · Post by **Offerocker** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:24 am

Marvin:

In order to do a 'fair' study, you would need female candidates with similar lifestyles as the male candidates, meaning those not pregnant, not of childbearing age, and not within the effects of menopause.

Since women of "today" are those who would fit those requirements, and are of an age to have been able to have fulfilled their chosen careers as their male counterparts, I would say that only those might be probable candidates - along with age-corresponding males.

Women who entered the workforce prior to the 'Bra Banning" era USUALLY did not do so for purposes of a dedicated career, as men had usually done.

Most women who entered after that may not meet all of 'my' criteria for a 'fair' study. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION.

...just my 'angle' on things...

...also, although FAR from scientific, take a "look" at the ratio of male-to-female members of this forum. I don't think it's even close to 50-50!! So, there goes the "more than" theory.

wabmorgan · Post by **wabmorgan** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:03 am

MEN are more likley to has OSA.

Offerocker · Post by **Offerocker** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 10:25 pm

wabmorgan wrote:MEN are more likley to has OSA.

I agree, but truly don't know WHY. Do you? I'm curious.

Are men more prone to weight gain, or are there other factors?

Thanks, wabmorgan!
Kathleen

Marvin123 · Post by **Marvin123** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:31 am

No Julie, I didn’t write this blog but I am a guest author of this site. It's some one else wrote and I thought its very informative, might be helpful for our forum members and regular visitors so I posted.

Well it's informative but the way our forum members come with their own views and opinions, it's already interesting and it will be more interesting once everyone start to participate on this discussion.

Marvin.