Women and Sleep - Part One
Donald Aulds, M.D.
Quality of sleep can vary at different phases of life and in women can vary at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Sleep is made up of rhythmic combinations of patterns which include rapid eye movement sleep (REM) and non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). The REM and NREM sleep patterns usually begin approximately ninety minutes after you fall asleep and cycle approximately every ninety minutes. It has been estimated that approximately forty million American men and women suffer from some type of sleep disorder. Sleep problems affect more women than men by approximately three to one. In a study in 2005 more than five thousand women were surveyed and nearly seventy percent of women who responded admitted to having less than eight hours of sleep each night. The three most commonly identified factors that decrease sleep in women includes work and/or family stresses, illnesses such as allergies and colds, and uncomfortable mattresses or pillow. Also in the study the worst sleeper were identified and women living in the Northeast and West Coast states, non-professional women, minorities and divorced and separated women.
Who may be more likely to have or to develop sleep problems?
Women who develop sleeping problems may include:
- People who are overweight, or have some physical problems in the nose, throat, or other parts of the upper airway
- People with depression and other psychological problems
- People who drink too much alcohol
- People who fall asleep at inappropriate times such as during driving, or during conversations and those who exhibit snoring
- Elderly people
- Night-shift workers
- Postmenopausal women
- People who have disturbances of the normal rhythms of their bodies
- Women may have problems just prior and during menstruation
- Women may also have problems during pregnancy
What are the symptoms of the sleep disturbances?
- Difficulty in falling asleep – often associated with anxiety disorders and a stressful lifestyle
- Awakening several times during the night – most common with menopause, in older women, the last trimester of pregnancy, due to pain, arthritis, and side effects of medications
- Excessive daytime sleeping – may be due to sleep-disordered breathing (sleep apnea), sleep deprivation, narcolepsy, and postmenopausal syndrome.
What can be done to improve sleep patterns?
- Sleep in a dark, quiet room
- Avoid alcohol use that can disrupt sleep patterns
- Avoid daytime naps
- Avoid caffeine especially in the evening
- Avoid use of sleeping pills which should be used only under the direction of a physician
- Try to develop a regular sleep schedule. Try to go the bed at the same time and get up at the same time daily
- Get daily exercise but avoid strenuous exercise for at least thirty minutes prior to going to bed
If you have noted problems with being able to sleep, talk to your physician.
More about Dr. Aulds
Donald G. Aulds, MD is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist and currently serves as the Medical Director for both the Women's Center and the Best Start Program of North Alabama. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Dr. Aulds completed his medical education at Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA and his Internship and Residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans, LA.
Dr. Aulds has been an active member of the Huntsville Hospital Medical Staff since 1980.
