Women are twice as likely to suffer from insomnia as men, mainly due to physical and hormonal changes, anxiety and increased exposure to a lack of iron. These are some of the latest findings that are being discussed these days at the XXI Annual Meeting of the Spanish Sleep Society (SEC), held in Burgos.
“Although insomnia is the most frequent disorder in the general population, it is twice as prevalent in women as in men,” explains Francisco Campos, a member of the SEC. These differences are also accentuated by age: insomnia affects approximately 35 percent of pre-menopausal women, and this number rises to about 50 percent after menopause. During this stage, hormonal changes take place that translate into physical, physiological and psychological alterations . All of this can lead to disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea. An added problem is that the diagnosis of these pathologies can sometimes be complicated since “for social reasons, women could be reluctant to report or consult some typical symptoms of certain disorders, such as snoring”, indicates Campos. However, it is important to see a doctor since sleep apnea treatment reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with this type of disorder.
Insomnia in pregnancy
Another period in a woman’s life in which sleep disturbances are accentuated is pregnancy. These changes occur especially from the third trimester of gestation in which physical and hormonal changes are greater, the awakenings more frequent and the increase in estrogens reduces the duration of REM sleep. In addition, other symptoms may appear such as snoring or restless legs syndrome, which consists of an uncontrollable urge to move and walk when you are resting. However, “although it seems that the quality of sleep remains altered in the immediate postpartum period, probably due to hormonal changes and concern for the newborn, the quality of sleep is restored during the year after delivery,” Campos affirmed.
