Sleep expert says women need 11 minutes more sleep every night than men do

While men and women have equal capabilities, their physiological differences lead to unique bodily needs. Men tend to have more muscle mass and require more calories, while women generally need more protein and iron. These differences extend beyond nutrition to sleep. Studies suggest that women need more sleep than men, averaging around 11 extra minutes. Speaking to Glamour Magazine, sleep expert Dr. Aileen Alexander breaks down the science behind this difference.

According to Dr. Aileen, hormones are the primary factor influencing women’s need for sleep. “When it comes to physiology, women’s hormones have a huge role to play in sleep,” says Dr. Aileen, who is also the founder of Nourish. “This includes everything, from menstrual periods to pregnancy and menopause. All of these scenarios can have a negative impact on sleep for obvious reasons. Overall, this means women are suggested to have a greater need for sleep and are more likely to indulge in daytime naps.”

It is not just a need for women’s bodies, but the intrinsic feature embedded in their biology. Neurologist and sleep medicine physician Jeffrey Durmer told Discover Magazine that women usually tend to sleep longer than men, go to sleep earlier and experience deeper sleep. A 2014 study also reported that women sleep about 6 to 28 minutes more than men. Moreover, according to a study published in the journal PNAS Plus, women experience a longer circadian rhythm than men and women experience a longer melatonin rhythm than men, meaning they need to sleep more to regulate their rhythms. However, Dr. Aileen tells Glamour Magazine that the research in this area is still limited.

Another factor is insomnia. According to the Sleep Foundation, women are more likely to experience insomnia and have trouble falling asleep, than men. One reason could be that women toil their muscles and bodies more than men during the day. “Women are typically the ones who get up through the night to support children or, in some cases, elderly parents,” says Dr. Aileen. Plus, studies have shown that women tend to dedicate more of their time and energy to doing household chores than men, from cooking meals to childcare. This could be a reason why women tend to be more sleep-deprived.

Dr. Aileen emphasizes that sleep needs are unique to each person, regardless of gender, and that listening to your body is key. “The recommended amount of sleep for any adult is eight hours, but some manage well on seven and others need nine,” she says. “I would always recommend tuning in to your body. If you don’t feel refreshed in the morning, looking to improve the quality of your sleep is a great place to start.”

She adds that “sleep is the pillar of health,” and having a good night's sleep is quintessential. On the contrary, lack of sleep can have dire consequences on the physical and psychological health of women. “For women, poor sleep is strongly associated with high levels of psychological distress, and greater feelings of hostility, depression, and anger. In contrast, these feelings were not associated with the same degree of sleep disruption in men,” said sleep expert Edward Suarez, per Deseret. So we now know that sleep is important, just a little bit more to women.