View from above on the young couple sleeping in their bed in the morningIt’s not just as simple as being a night owl or early bird. Apparently, sleep disparities are becoming increasingly apparent in our biological sex differences. That is – men and women have slightly different sleep patterns and tendencies.

Research about sleep health and the differences between men and women is a newer area of study. Even so, it’s interesting and perhaps important to be more aware of this in an effort to get to know our sleep cycles better.

All humans have a circadian rhythm

Right off the bat, it’s helpful to understand exactly what our circadian rhythm entails. Essentially, every human being has one; but it just looks different depending on a variety of factors. And as we’ll get into below, being male or female is one of those factors.

Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles controlled by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Also known as our internal clock, it helps regulate our body’s natural process such as digestion, energy and our sleep-wake cycle. But most often, circadian rhythms are talked about in the context of sleep.

This biological clock in humans is also heavily influenced by light and other environmental cues (hence why we feel more tired at night and awake when the sun comes up). Most importantly, a healthy and normal functioning circadian rhythm determines the level of health, productivity and energy that we have on a daily basis. If something is off or unstable (ex. Sleep disorders) then we can’t function properly.

How does sex and gender affect sleep?

Circadian rhythms

Even though men and women both have circadian rhythms, they don’t exactly look the same. Women tend to have an internal clock shorter than 24 hours (generally an hour earlier). This means women are more likely to wake up earlier, even if they go to bed at the same time as a male partner. For this reason, women are also more likely to consider themselves “morning people.”

On the other hand, men are closer to that full 24-hour cycle and can run longer than women (on average six minutes longer), meaning they’re more likely to be night owls or less tired in the evening. However, men have more of a challenge at handling insufficient or inadequate sleep comparatively to women.

The amount of sleep

When it comes to the way women and men sleep, studies have found that women spend typically more time in deep restorative sleep compared to men due to men not going through the same REM cycle as they age.

Both men and women need the recommended 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. But because women are more inclined to use their prefrontal cortex (the front of the brain) for multi-tasking and due to having a shorter circadian rhythm – they technically need more sleep. According to Dr. Jim Horne, women need approximately twenty more minutes than men.

Sleep disorders

Certainly, both men and women can struggle and suffer from inadequate sleep and sleep disorders. And while the research is still minimal, findings have revealed a disproportionate According to this study, sex and gender differences cause men and women to sleep differently and have different risks for sleep disorders.

Young men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea, as a result of having larger upper airways comparatively to women. But it’s actually insomnia that is distinctively influenced by biological sex; whether you’re male or female determines your risk factor of acquiring it at some point. Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders; it’s marked by the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep at night.

What we know thus far, is that women are more likely to experience disrupted sleep across various stages of life; and in fact they are twice as likely to experience sleep disruptions and insomnia. This is mostly in part, due to a woman’s physiological changes in ovarian steroid production induced by the various hormonal changes that women are more likely to experience (ex. pregnancy, puberty, menopause, etc.). As a result, they are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Interestingly enough, it’s men that have a harder time handling poor sleep and women can perform better despite sleep loss.

Concluding thoughts

It should also be noted that the roles and responsibilities of women adds sleep disturbances and women are less likely to seek treatment for sleep disorders. Women are encouraged to talk to their physicians if they have difficulty sleeping, especially during pregnancy, puberty or menopause.

This area of sleep is still under researched and under explored, so there’s a lot more questions than answers at the moment. But the differences in sleep dependent on biological sex could be a helpful lens at which to look more closely at sleep disorders and improved targeted treatment.