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Sleep Issues in Women<\/em><\/strong> &<\/em><\/strong> Their Solutions<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to the current corona pandemic that has taken over our lives, Sleep has become a rarity, especially when you\u2019re a woman with a day job (now work from home), two kids, and a house that needs to be taken care of. One of these sleepless nights, I called one of my good friends, Supriya. Her husband was an essential worker, a doctor, so I called her from time to time, to check-in on her. That night, she sounded very stressed and tired so I asked her about it, she said, \u201c I must make a confession- It is very hard to do this all by myself, My husband comes home, sleeps in a different room, takes a shower, food is served to him in that room and he leaves. I haven\u2019t spoken to him properly in days and it\u2019s hard to manage the kids and keep them engaged and\u2026I can\u2019t sleep even though I am exhausted.\u201d After comforting her and assuring her that it\u2019s going to be okay, I came to a startling realization, that women have effectively doubled their workload, increased their stress as a result, precious sleep hours have been lost throughout this pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n It is observed that sleep can vary between\nwomen and men, as they are physiologically different in structure and function.\nThey are twice as more susceptible to sleep disorders than men. Women above the\nage of 19 to almost 65 can face a plethora of different sleep problems, as\nthere are changes in the hormones during these ages. The most common being\ninsomnia i.e. the inability to sleep. 47% of women sleep for less than 6 hours\na night lesser than the required 8 hours of sleep recommended for women. Upon\nfurther research, the causes for these sleep disorders in women became clearer\nto me, these causes include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n .<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 71% of women sleep lesser than men due to household chores. Women who work 9 to 5 jobs, often have to manage both their work and their household, which can lead to added stress. Women with kids have to devote significant time to their kids especially in their early years. This leads to excess workload on women, increasing stress levels, and decreasing sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A woman\u2019s menstrual cycle affects her sleep schedule a lot. Women can feel sleepy and tired during menstruation due to cramps, bloating, heavy flow, and headaches, and PMS or pre-menstrual syndrome can be called sleep stealers. Insomnia is prevalent during Menopause. For postmenopausal women, the prevalence of insomnia grievances was between 61% and 83%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women are more susceptible to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, which are known to be associated with sleep complaints, leaving them more vulnerable to sleep problems. One main reason is that the chemicals in the brain, which are disrupted in these illnesses are also involved in regulating sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women are twice at risk for RLS than men. Recent research suggests that this is due to iron deficiency. RLS is a condition with an unpleasant sensation in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them to relieve the feelings, predominantly on lying down in the evening. This can vary in severity and frequency and be a cause for poor sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Solutions to these problems include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even after these suggestions if you continue to face\nproblems regarding your sleep, make sure to visit a specialist soon. Conditions\nsuch as RLS, snoring, sleep apnea, etc. require immediate medical attention.\nSelf-medication with sleeping pills is dangerous and should not be done.<\/strong><\/p>\n