Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men?

Long Story Short

• Women are 1.58 times more likely to experience insomnia than men.
• Other sleep disorders, like restless leg syndrome, affect men and women differently. 
• Women experience more nighttime awakenings than men, particularly during the years associated with raising children. 
• Although men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea, women with the condition often face more serious health risks.

We all have different sleep needs. While experts recommend at least seven hours per night for adults, the guidelines don’t specify how many hours of sleep women need. (1) It turns out research is limited on this topic, though women generally report getting more sleep than men. (2) 

But we do know that women may have more sleep challenges due to hormonal changes and other factors. (3) This raises the question, do women need more sleep than men? We’ve done the research and reached out to experts to help us understand the relationship between women and sleep and what that means for women’s sleep needs.

Note: The content on Sleepopolis is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t be taken as medical advice, and it shouldn’t take the place of medical advice and supervision from a trained professional. If you feel you may be suffering from any sleep disorder or medical condition, please see your healthcare provider immediately. 

Why Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men? 

We can’t say for certain that women need more sleep than men, but women often face changes in their hormone levels throughout different life stages that can affect their sleep. (3) On top of these changes, differences in sleep patterns, family duties, and more can make women’s sleep needs different from men’s. (4) (5) 

But the question goes beyond just how many hours women need. “There are studies showing that women, as a group, need slightly more sleep than men. However, the measurement of sleep quantity is a one-dimensional view of sleep. There is no standard measurement of sleep quality, and studies often fail to account for sleep regularity and optimal sleep timing. My professional experience indicates a gender gap in sleep quality, which often manifests as more pronounced nighttime sleep disturbances and daytime symptoms for women,” Audrey Wells, M.D. sleep physician and founder of Super Sleep MD, tells Sleepopolis. Let’s see what’s behind these sleep differences: 

Hormonal Fluctuations

Starting with puberty, women are privy to a series of hormonal fluctuations that occur month after month, year after year. (6) And while those hormonal changes play important roles, such as preparing the uterus for a possible pregnancy, they can also have an impact on a woman’s sleep cycle. (7) 

During a typical menstrual cycle, hormones like estrogen and progesterone rise and fall in a typically predictable pattern. In the first half of the cycle (called the follicular phase), estrogen levels start low and gradually increase. But it’s in the second half (called the luteal phase), when both estrogen and progesterone spike, that sleep can become tricky. (3)  

Sleep quality often takes a hit in the luteal phase as women often struggle more with falling asleep, wake up more frequently, and get less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. (3) Core body temperature also rises during this phase, which can make sleep more difficult, especially for women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), who often have sleep disturbances and morning tiredness. (3)  Some women even experience insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep) in the four to five days leading up to their periods, Shelby Harris, Sleepopolis’ director of sleep health, tells us. 

Pregnancy

Pregnant women have higher body energy needs, which can result in a greater need for sleep, Alex Dimitriu, M.D., double board-certified in psychiatry and sleep medicine, tells Sleepopolis. (8) But other factors can make it harder to get that extra rest. 

“During pregnancy, as many of us know, that’s a big time for sleep disruption. There can be hormone issues, having to urinate a lot at night — heartburn is a big one,” Harris adds. 

If you’re nodding in agreement, you’re in good company: about 7 in 10 women experience sleep difficulties at some point in pregnancy. (3) Estrogen and progesterone go into overdrive during that time, climbing to a whopping 50 to 60 times their usual levels before delivery. (3) Prolactin, which helps with milk production, also rises, as does cortisol, a stress hormone — especially in the third trimester. (3) These hormonal surges can affect how deeply and restfully a woman sleeps.

As pregnancy progresses, women get less REM sleep and spend more time in lighter sleep stages. (3) They also tend to wake up more frequently during the night, especially in the third trimester, which can lead to feeling less refreshed in the morning. This often happens due to increased discomfort from a growing belly, back pain, and the baby’s movements. (3) Harris agrees. “As you’re getting bigger, the baby starts having to move around a lot more, you’re just uncomfortable. The final thing we see a lot more during that stage is there can be vivid dreaming,” she says. 

Unfortunately, that’s not all — sleep apnea (when breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep) is also very common in pregnant women, though it typically resolves post-pregnancy, Harris adds. Dimitriu also tells Sleepopolis that sleep apnea can lead to more sleep interruptions and an increased need for sleep.  

Of course, there are plenty of sleep challenges that come along with motherhood post-birth, too. After birth, those hormones generally settle down, but that doesn’t mean sleep immediately gets better. New mothers typically face various sleep disruptors, including physical recovery from birth (especially after cesarean sections), emotional adjustments, and mood changes, not to mention the demands of  night feedings and diaper changes. (3) 

Perimenopause and Menopause 

No discussion of women and sleep deprivation would be complete without mentioning perimenopause and menopause. During this phase of life, women undergo additional waves of reproductive hormonal changes, which can bring hot flashes, night sweats, and significant dips in hormone levels — often the reason many menopausal women find themselves wide awake night after night. (9)

A small study found that during perimenopause (the period leading up to menopause), dropping estrogen and rising follicle-stimulating hormone levels can cause more frequent night-time awakenings — and that’s even before considering factors like night sweats or mood changes. (10) 

As a woman transitions into menopause and beyond, sleep patterns may shift even more dramatically. The body’s natural sleep-wake rhythm (circadian rhythm) can become less regulated, which can lead to a whole slew of sleep disruptions: poorer sleep quality, lighter sleep, middle-of-the-night wake-ups, and more restless nights. (11) Combined with the effects of aging on sleep, the shifting of reproductive hormones can wreak havoc on a woman’s nighttime and daytime experience. This causes significant and persistent distress that is often unnamed and unrecognized, so it’s important to check in with your healthcare provider for help if you’re struggling. (11) 

Different Circadian Rhythms 

Our bodies run on an internal 24-hour clock called circadian rhythms, which control not just sleep but also body temperature, hormone release, and even when we feel hungry. (12) These biological rhythms work differently in men and women. (14)

Women’s circadian rhythms tend to run shorter than men’s, which means women are more likely to be early risers, while men often feel more energized in the evening. (13) (14) This pattern tends to start in the teenage years and continues through most of adulthood, though it gradually evens out as we age. (13) Women also tend to go to bed earlier and sleep longer. (14)

Beyond biological preferences in sleep timing, women’s sleep patterns can have other interesting differences. Some research suggests that women generally sleep more efficiently than men when they do sleep, meaning they log a higher percentage of sleep time relative to their time in bed, but other studies find no real differences. (13) 

When sleep schedules get thrown off — like during shift work, periods of stress, or if you’re jet-lagged — women typically have more noticeable ups and downs in their alertness levels during the day compared to men. (13) 

Different Sleep Cycles 

While both men and women experience similar stages of sleep, the way they move through these stages can differ. When studied in a lab, women typically get more deep sleep, also called slow-wave sleep, which is the most restorative kind of sleep. (15) 

But it’s not all good news. Despite getting more deep sleep, women tend to have more trouble falling asleep initially and wake up more frequently throughout the night — a likely result of hormonal changes and daily stress. (16) (17) These sleep disruptions are especially common during early to middle adulthood, a time when many women are juggling childcare responsibilities on top of everything else. (17) Meanwhile, men spend more time in light sleep (NREM 1 sleep stage), which may explain why they feel sleepier during the day. (16)

Cultural Norms and Expectations

Women worldwide spend triple the amount of time men do on unpaid work like household chores and caregiving. (18) It’s no surprise that even in our modern society, when couples move in together, women often find themselves managing more of their home life on top of their careers, while men tend to focus mainly on their paid work. (5)

Very often, mothers are required to put in their full eight hours at the office (wherever that is these days) only to sign off and come home to kids, homework, dinner prep, and a sink full of dishes. This double duty often leaves women with more total work hours in their day, which can take a toll on their sleep.

Being the family’s chief care officer isn’t exactly a recipe for sweet dreams. Managing a household, caring for children, or looking after aging parents takes physical and mental energy. Women who take on these caregiving roles often struggle with sleep due to stress, waking up during the night to care for others, and unpredictable schedules. (19) 

“These invisible burdens — such as heightened cognitive demands, emotional stressors, and societal expectations that often place a disproportionate share of responsibilities on women — are among the most overlooked factors competing with sleep time and quality,” Wells says. 

Sleep Disorders Are More Common in Women 

Adding to women’s sleep challenges, sleep disorders are yet another area where women are affected differently. “Due to the more intense hormonal fluctuations that women experience with menses, pregnancy, and menopause, they are at greater risk for conditions that may impact their sleep cycle, like insomnia and restless legs syndrome (RLS),” Dimitriu explains. 

Take insomnia, for instance. It’s one of the most common sleep disorders affecting women, with research showing that women are nearly 60 percent more likely to experience it than men. (20) During puberty, girls who have started menstruating are almost three times more likely to develop insomnia compared to those who haven’t. (3) And the risk jumps significantly during perimenopause and menopause, with slightly over half of women facing sleep difficulties during this transition. (21)

Restless legs syndrome is a condition that makes it hard to fall asleep due to an irresistible urge to move your legs. If you have RLS, you may also feel uncomfortable tingling sensations that worsen at night. (22) Women face a higher risk of developing RLS compared to men, and their symptoms look different, too. (3) Where men typically experience more movement-related symptoms, women tend to deal with more pain, frequent nighttime awakenings, sleep disruptions, and mood changes. (23) What’s more, pregnant women are especially susceptible to RLS.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) adds another twist to women’s sleep challenges. While it tends to affect more men than women, women tend to face more serious impacts when they have it. They may have more difficulties at work and face more health problems, including higher risks of heart issues. (24) Still, many women with sleep apnea go undiagnosed or underdiagnosed, meaning they don’t receive needed treatment. (24)

How Much Sleep Do Women Need? 

There isn’t any current research on how much sleep women need specifically, but current guidelines dictate that most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. (1) Of course, the quality of that sleep matters just as much as the quantity, and women might need to adjust their sleep hours based on life stage and circumstances. 

“If sleep quality is diminished, women may notice a need for more sleep to compensate in quantity,” explains Dimitriu. Pay attention to your sleep needs and make time for them (we share some great tips below), even if that means getting a few more minutes of sleep than the recommended amount. 

Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Women’s Health 

Sleep deprivation (not getting enough sleep) doesn’t look the same from one day to the next, nor does it look the same from person to person. In both men and women, short-term sleep deprivation typically results in symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness, moodiness, and a short fuse. “These shifts are not weaknesses but indicators of resilience and sensitivity to a demanding environment,” Wells explains. 

And that’s just the short term. Prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to more serious health issues, such as: (25) (26)

• Weight gain
• Diabetes (27)
• Heart and blood vessel disease
• A weakened immune system
• Trouble with memory and dementia (28)

For women, the health impacts can be more far-reaching. For example, sleep issues, such as sleep deprivation, irregular sleep, or sleep disorders, can also throw off menstrual cycles and affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes. (29) Women working night shifts or dealing with sleep disorders tend to have lower success rates with fertility treatments and face higher risks of pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. (29)

Research also shows that when it comes to very short sleep (less than 5 hours a night), women face a higher risk of early death and heart problems compared to men getting the same amount of sleep. (2)

Moodiness and irritability are a common side-effect of not getting enough sleep — for both genders. In a survey of more than 2,000 people conducted by Sleepopolis in 2024, 61 percent of women who responded said a lack of sleep negatively affected their mood and attitude, along with 53 percent of male respondents.

Mental Health in Women 

While the sleep disruptors we’ve seen so far may seem like more than enough, we can’t forget the mental health challenges that can also disrupt women’s sleep. 

Poor sleep and mental health often create a vicious cycle, where lack of sleep can worsen mental health symptoms, while anxiety and depression can make it harder to get quality rest. (26)

Women are especially prone to this sleep-stress cycle. Depression and anxiety are more common in women, thanks in part to hormonal shake-ups throughout life. (30) For example, postpartum depression, menopause, and even conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) can trigger mental health struggles that make restful sleep harder to get. (30)

Add in the daily stress of juggling work, family responsibilities, and social expectations, and it’s no wonder women find themselves wide awake at night. When you’re mentally reviewing tomorrow’s to-do list or worrying about family matters at 3 a.m., good sleep can feel impossible.

Motherhood and Sleep 

Motherhood marks the beginning of a whole new chapter in women’s sleep story. While both parents feel the impact of a new baby, mothers typically face bigger sleep disruptions in the newborn period and beyond. (31) Even in today’s households, mothers still handle most nighttime child care, whether they’re breastfeeding, tending to sick children, or comforting little ones in the middle of the night. 

The impact is significant: Mothers lose about an hour of sleep each night, while fathers lose about 13 minutes. (31) And it can take years — sometimes until their child is about six — for mothers to feel they’re sleeping as well as they did before having children (if they return to their pre-motherhood baseline at all). (31)

This ongoing lack of sleep can lead to “momsomnia,” where mothers stay up late after the kids are asleep. Mothers may do this to get some quiet “me-time” or to stay alert for any signs of their children needing them, but this often creates a cycle of sleep deprivation that can be hard to break.

Sleep Tips for Women 

We’ve seen that women may find it harder to get some shut-eye compared with their male counterparts, and their sleep struggle is real. But the news is not all gloom and doom. Natalie Barnett, PhD and VP of Clinical Research at Nanit offers the following tips: (32) (33)

• Get help: Ask your partner or trusted members of your support network to share caregiving responsibilities at night to get longer sleep stretches. Even a small improvement in your sleep will be noticeable and can significantly improve your quality of life.
• Talk to a specialist about hormone replacement therapy: Women experiencing menopause-related sleep issues might benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). A qualified healthcare professional can explain the facts about HRT and help determine if it’s a good fit for you.
• Get a sleep evaluation: What feels like insomnia might be another sleep issue that needs different treatment. A sleep specialist can conduct a sleep study, identify the problem, and help you find solutions that work.
• Create a comfortable sleep environment: Lower your bedroom temperature or use a fan to help manage hot flashes and night sweats.
• Keep a consistent sleep schedule: Stick to the same sleep and wake times each day, including weekends. 
• Create a bedtime routine: Having a bedtime routine lets your brain know it’s time to sleep. Something as simple as showering, brushing your teeth, getting into pajamas, and reading can work.
• Get morning sunlight: Early light exposure helps regulate your circadian rhythm and improve nighttime sleep quality.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine: Both caffeine and alcohol can disrupt sleep patterns, especially in the hours before bedtime.

FAQs

The Last Word From Sleepopolis 

Understanding women’s sleep needs isn’t simple. That’s why we put in the legwork to provide reliable answers and solutions that work here at Sleepopolis. With shifting hormones, life transitions, daily responsibilities, and mental health challenges, the deck can feel stacked against women when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep. 

Still, your sleep needs are personal and will likely change as you move through different life phases. Check in with yourself, see how you feel, and adjust as needed. A few lifestyle and sleep habits changes can go a long way to improve sleep, but if you’re still struggling, a healthcare provider can help. Quality sleep isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a biological requirement for your health and well-being.

Sources

Long Story Short 

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• Zeng LN, Zong QQ, Yang Y, et al. Gender difference in the prevalence of insomnia: A meta-analysis of observational studies. Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:577429. Published 2020 Nov 20. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.577429
  
• Kim J, Kim JR, Park HR, Joo EY. Sex-specific patterns of discomfort in patients with restless legs syndrome. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(2):253-259. doi:10.5664/jcsm.10848
• Jonasdottir SS, Minor K, Lehmann S. Gender differences in nighttime sleep patterns and variability across the adult lifespan: A global-scale wearables study. Sleep. 2021;44(2):zsaa169. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsaa169
  
• Geer JH, Hilbert J. Gender issues in obstructive sleep apnea. Yale J Biol Med. 2021;94(3):487-496. Published 2021 Sep 30.

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Barnett, Natalie, PhD, Personal interview. November 7, 2024.

Dimitriu, Alex, MD, Personal interview. October 29, 2024.