Colin Snow
While sex can help some women sleep better, it can have the opposite effect on others. Women's sleep is often of poorer quality than men's, due to factors such as hormone fluctuations, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and the increased amount of unpaid labour they perform.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Women's sleep quality | Poorer than men's |
| Reasons for poor sleep quality | Hormone fluctuations, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, motherhood |
| Sleep quality after sex | Improved, but only if an orgasm is reached |
| Sleep quality over time | Declines with age |
| Sleep quality and unpaid labour | Unpaid labour rose 153% between March 2020 and February 2021 |
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What You'll Learn
- Hormone fluctuations, triggered by menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, can cause women to spend less time in REM sleep, leading to poor sleep quality
- Women who are mothers are more likely to lose sleep due to helping others at night and often report that their sleep satisfaction doesn't return to normal after becoming a parent
- Unpaid labour, such as decision-making and information tracking, has increased significantly, contributing to women's sleep difficulties
- While sexual activity can improve sleep quality, it must involve reaching an orgasm, and it does not increase sleep duration
- As women age, their sleep patterns change, with a decrease in sleep depth and an increase in sleep fragmentation
Hormone fluctuations, triggered by menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, can cause women to spend less time in REM sleep, leading to poor sleep quality
Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through our bodies, affecting growth and development, metabolism, sexual function, reproduction, mood, and appetite – and sleep is no exception. Fluctuations in cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, or thyroid hormones can cause sleep disturbances, making it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep throughout the night, and wake up feeling rested.
During the menstrual cycle, hormonal changes can impact sleep quality. As hormone levels spike or drop, women may experience sleep problems such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Pregnancy and the postpartum period can also trigger hormonal changes that affect sleep.
The approach of menopause is a time of significant hormone fluctuations, which can have a pronounced effect on sleep. Estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, leading to irritability and vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats that interfere with sleep. Women in this stage of life often juggle multiple responsibilities, leading to increased stress and further impairing sleep quality.
Additionally, menopause increases the risk of sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, which can cause frequent awakenings during the night due to oxygen deprivation. Studies have shown that women during menopause spend less time in REM sleep and often wake up feeling less rested.
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Women who are mothers are more likely to lose sleep due to helping others at night and often report that their sleep satisfaction doesn't return to normal after becoming a parent
For some women, sex before bedtime can help them sleep better, but for others, it can have the opposite effect. According to Winter, as women age, the depth of their sleep changes, and their sleep becomes more fragmented. Exercise can also impede sleep, so it is recommended that women schedule intimacy earlier in the day if they find that sex keeps them awake at night.
Women who are mothers are more likely to lose sleep due to the additional responsibilities and worries that come with parenthood. Research has found that mothers are losing more sleep than ever, with 40% of moms of young children experiencing sleep issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 19.5% pre-pandemic. The pandemic has also impacted mothers' sleep due to fears of catching or spreading the virus, increased stress and anxiety, and the need to make up for lost work after the kids are asleep. Mothers with children aged 5 to 18 also experienced higher rates of sleep issues during the pandemic, with rates floating around 38% compared to 21.7% pre-pandemic. These factors can contribute to mothers' sleep satisfaction not returning to normal after becoming a parent.
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Unpaid labour, such as decision-making and information tracking, has increased significantly, contributing to women's sleep difficulties
It is well-known that women face many sex-specific sleep health challenges that can contribute to and influence the presence of insomnia symptoms across their lifespan. These include sex differences in neurobiology, hormonal variation during menstruation, pregnancy and menopause, increased prevalence of mood disorders, increased vulnerability to adverse socioeconomic factors, and gender discrimination, among other psychosocial stressors, particularly among women of racial-ethnic minority.
Women may experience greater levels of pre-sleep arousal, with resultant difficulties in falling asleep. This may be attributed in part to higher reports of worrying around bedtime in women as compared to men. Working middle-aged women report ruminating and worrying about daily tasks at night, and may be under increased stress induced by the competing demands of paid work and unpaid domestic labour which may also restrict time that can be allocated toward adequate sleep.
A study conducted in the United States found that inequitable housework division contributed significantly to higher depression rates in women. Similarly, a Swedish study (2008–2014) showed that women with higher unpaid work hours had a stronger association with high depression symptom trajectories than men. Experiencing perceived gender discrimination was significantly associated with higher depression scores even after adjusting for poverty, social support, and gender inequality.
In addition to contributing to insomnia directly, other factors such as gender-specific cultural and social roles as well as gender discrimination may also contribute to the female preponderance of depression and anxiety. A survey by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that more than one in ten women endorse experiencing perceived gender discrimination.
For some women, sex before bedtime paves the way for a night of restful sleep. For others, it triggers hours of tossing and turning.
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While sexual activity can improve sleep quality, it must involve reaching an orgasm, and it does not increase sleep duration
Women tend to sleep less per night than men, and their sleep is often of poorer quality. This can be due to hormone fluctuations triggered by menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. Dips in estrogen lead women to spend less time in REM sleep, meaning they wake up feeling less rested.
Sexual activity can help to improve sleep quality, but it does not increase the duration of sleep. An observational study carried out in Spain in 2021 and 2022 found that sexual activity improved sleep quality, but only when it involved reaching an orgasm.
It is important to note that the impact of nighttime sex on sleep quality may shift over time. As women age, there are changes to the depth of sleep and the amount of fragmentation. Additionally, everyone's ability to sleep efficiently tends to decrease with age.
Therefore, while sexual activity can improve sleep quality for women, it is not a guarantee, and it is important to consider other factors such as age and hormone fluctuations.
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As women age, their sleep patterns change, with a decrease in sleep depth and an increase in sleep fragmentation
Sex can have an impact on a woman's quality of sleep. For some women, sex before bedtime can help them sleep restfully, while for others, it can cause them to toss and turn.
There are a number of sleep problems that are particular to adult women. Half of women report sleep disturbances during their menstrual periods, three-quarters of expectant mothers report that sleep is more disturbed during pregnancy, and many experience disrupted sleep during menopause, in part due to night-time "hot flashes".
In women, estradiol levels decrease and follicle-stimulating hormone levels increase significantly during the menopause transition and postmenopause. These changes in reproductive hormones have been associated with increased complaints of difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Decreased levels of endogenous estrogen and progesterone may also have a negative impact on the upper airway, therefore increasing the incidence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) after menopause.
If you are experiencing sleep issues, it is recommended that you schedule intimacy a little earlier in the day, and then don't beat yourself up for wanting or needing it.
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Frequently asked questions
Women tend to sleep less than men and their sleep is of poorer quality. This could be due to hormone fluctuations, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, or the amount of unpaid labour they do.
Yes, sexual activity can help women improve their sleep quality, but only if they reach orgasm.
Everyone needs less sleep as they age, and the quality of sleep tends to get worse.
Dips in estrogen can lead women to spend less time in REM sleep, meaning they wake up feeling less rested.
Try to reach orgasm, as this will help improve your sleep quality.
