Miya Pearson
There is a growing debate about whether women need more sleep than men. While some sources suggest that women need nine to ten hours of sleep a night, others argue that the difference is much smaller, with women needing only 10 to 15 minutes more sleep than men. Sleep studies and experts have found that the average female adult gets 7.5-8 hours of sleep a night, while the average male adult sleeps for 7-7.5 hours. However, it is important to note that sleep needs vary between individuals for many reasons, including genetics and age.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Recommended amount of sleep | Seven to nine hours |
| Average amount of sleep | 7.5-8 hours |
| TikTok recommendation | Nine to ten hours |
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What You'll Learn
Sleep studies and experts
Kin M. Yuen, MD, MS, a sleep medicine specialist at UCSF Health and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, has also found that women may require more sleep than men in various life stages. Yuen noted that when comparing female and male infants, female infants spend a little bit more time asleep. This pattern often continues into adulthood, although it is unclear whether women need more sleep or if men are simply not getting enough sleep.
The CDC recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep a night, with the majority of people needing somewhere between seven to nine hours, regardless of their sex or gender. However, TikTok videos have claimed that women need nine to ten hours of sleep, as previous studies on optimal sleep duration were only conducted on men.
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TikTok trends
Women, we're not crazy!
If you've been on TikTok recently, you may have seen videos claiming that women need more sleep than men. And they're not wrong! Sleep studies and experts have found that women need slightly more sleep than men – around 10 to 15 minutes more, to be precise.
But why?
Well, it turns out that a lot of the studies on sleep were only conducted on men. So, when researchers looked at how much sleep women need, they found that we need around nine to ten hours of sleep a night. That's a whole lot more than the seven to eight hours that men need!
What the experts say
According to sleep medicine specialist Kin M. Yuen, MD, MS, women may need more rest than men at various life stages. Yuen notes that female infants spend more time asleep than male infants, and this pattern often continues into adulthood.
So, ladies, if you've been feeling tired, now you know why! Make sure to get those extra zzz's. #Sleep #Women #SelfCare
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Research supporting the idea that women need more sleep
Research does support the idea that women need slightly more sleep than men. According to a 2013 survey of adults in the U.S., women reported spending 11 minutes longer in bed each day than men. Sleep medicine specialist Kin M. Yuen, MD, MS, also notes that female infants spend more time asleep than male infants, and that this pattern often continues into adulthood.
Wellness podcaster Rebecca Leigh has also commented on the topic, stating that "all the studies that were done on how many hours of sleep to get were only conducted on men". She concludes that if these studies had been done on women, they would have found that the optimal range of sleep is nine to ten hours, rather than seven to eight.
However, it is important to note that the existing data on this topic is somewhat murky, and that sleep needs vary between individuals for many reasons, including genetics and age. The CDC recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep a night, and sleep specialist Sara Nowakowski agrees that the majority of people need somewhere between seven to nine hours, regardless of their sex or gender.
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The average amount of sleep women get
Sleep needs vary between individuals for many reasons, including genetics and age. The CDC recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep a night. However, the average female adult gets 7.5-8 hours of sleep a night, while the average male adult sleeps for 7-7.5 hours.
According to sleep studies and experts, women may need more sleep than men. TikTok videos have claimed that women need nine to ten hours of sleep a night. A 2013 survey of adults in the U.S. found that, on average, women reported spending 11 minutes longer in bed each day than men. Sleep medicine specialist Kin M. Yuen has also noted that women may require more sleep than men in various life stages.
However, it's unclear whether women need more sleep or if men are simply not getting enough sleep. Existing data on this topic is somewhat murky, as studies showing that women sleep more than men are mostly based on surveys or self-reported sleep diaries, which lack objectivity.
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Sleep needs varying between individuals
Sleep needs vary between individuals for many reasons, including genetics and age. The CDC recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep a night. However, the majority of people need somewhere between seven to nine hours, regardless of their sex or gender.
The average female adult gets 7.5-8 hours of sleep a night, while the average male adult sleeps for 7-7.5 hours. Research suggests that women may require more sleep than men at various life stages. For example, female infants spend more time asleep than male infants, and this pattern often continues into adulthood.
TikTok has popularised the idea that women need nine to ten hours of sleep. This claim is based on the fact that previous studies on optimal sleep duration only included men as participants. However, it's unclear whether women truly need more sleep or if men are simply not getting enough sleep. Existing data on this topic is limited and based on surveys or self-reported sleep diaries, which may not be entirely accurate.
Overall, while there may be some variation in sleep needs between women and men, the difference is likely minimal, and individual factors such as genetics and age play a more significant role in determining sleep requirements.
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Frequently asked questions
While the recommended amount of sleep for most adults is seven to nine hours, women may need slightly more sleep than men.
Research suggests that women need 10 to 15 minutes more sleep than men. However, TikTok videos have claimed that women need nine to ten hours of sleep, which is significantly more than the recommended amount for most adults.
According to Kin M. Yuen, MD, MS, a sleep medicine specialist, women may require more sleep than men at various life stages. Yuen notes that this pattern often continues into adulthood.
Not getting enough sleep can lead to fatigue and tiredness. It can also impact your overall health and well-being.
Women can ensure they are getting enough sleep by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and practising good sleep hygiene. This includes avoiding screens before bed, limiting caffeine intake, and creating a comfortable sleep environment.
