He Sleeps. She Sleeps. What are the Differences?

It’s been discussed for years: who gets better sleep, men or women? A new study presented at the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s annual meeting is moving us closer to learning the answer.

Findings from the study of sleep patterns in 16 men and 18 women showed that the women tended to fall asleep faster, have more deep sleep, and wake up during the night less frequently as compared to the men. Even the amount of time needed for the internal sleep/wake “clock” to reset itself is different between genders.  A woman’s body clock resets itself six minutes sooner than men, and while that may not sound like much of a difference, this can have a cumulative effect over time.

Since sleep is such a vital part of a healthy life, medical researchers are wondering if these differences in sleep patterns are one of the main reasons why women live longer than men.

Researchers say it still isn't clear why in numerous studies women tend to complain more about their sleep, saying they don't get enough sleep and find it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. With this in mind, more studies are needed to better understand the complete picture.