Special Focus: Women & Sleep
Although most people need eight hours of sleep each night, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) 1998 Women and Sleep Poll found that the average woman aged 30-60 sleeps only six hours and forty-one minutes during the workweek. Research has shown that a lack of enough restful sleep results in daytime sleepiness, increased accidents, problems concentrating, poor performance on the job and in school, and possibly, increased sickness and weight gain.

Conditions unique to women, like the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, can affect how well a woman sleeps. This is because the changing levels of hormones that a woman experiences throughout the month, like estrogen and progesterone, have an impact on sleep. Understanding the effects of these hormones, environmental factors and lifestyle habits can help women enjoy a good night's sleep.

Most Common Sleep Problems In Women
Nearly 40 million American men and women suffer from sleep disorders. However, sleep problems affect more women than men. New research exploring women's sleep experiences may lead to specially tailored treatments.

Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common sleep problem. Women are more likely than men to report insomnia. In fact, according to the NSF poll, 53% of women aged 30-60 experience difficulty sleeping often or always: 60% of women aged 30-39, 47% aged 40-49, and 50% aged 50-60. Yet only 41% of all the women surveyed think they've had insomnia in the past year. Fortunately, there are a number of approaches to improving sleep, including those you can do yourself such as exercise, establishing regular bedtimes and wake times, dietary changes (less or no caffeine and alcohol) and improving your sleep environment.

Sleep Apnea
An estimated 12 million plus Americans have sleep apnea including one in four women over 65. While apnea is more common in men, it increases in women after age 50. Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that is characterized by snoring, interrupted breathing during sleep or excessive daytime sleepiness. Recent studies have also found that sleep apnea is associated with increased blood pressure, a risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke. If any of these symptoms appear, it is important to address them with your doctor. A number of effective treatment approaches are available.

Narcolepsy
Feeling sleepy during the day or at times you expect to be awake may indicate a need for more sleep or the presence of a serious but treatable disorder such as those already mentioned or narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects approximately one in 2000 people. Narcolepsy symptoms frequently appear in teen years. In addition to excessive daytime sleepiness, people with narcolepsy have sudden "sleep attacks" (an over-whelming urge to sleep), suddenly lose muscle tone or strength (cataplexy) and may have disturbed nighttime sleep. Recent scientific breakthroughs have led to new under-standing of the cause of this condition and new treatments have given doctors more ways to help manage its symptoms.

Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder
Persons with nocturnal sleep-related eating disorder (NS-RED), an uncommon condition, eat food during the night while they appear asleep. Since parts of the brain that control memory are asleep, people with NS-RED cannot remember nighttime eating. One study indicates that over 66 percent of sufferers are women. NS-RED can occur during sleepwalking. It can be caused by medications (e.g., some drugs prescribed for depression or insomnia) or by sleep disorders (sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome) that cause awakenings and trigger sleep-eating.

When to See a Doctor
Many sleep problems can be improved by changing your sleep habits, reducing stress, improving your diet or exercising. If sleep problems persist, it is advised to seek professional help. Your doctor will determine the cause of your sleep problem and may refer you to a sleep disorders center. These centers are staffed with sleep specialists who will ask you questions about your sleep problems and may monitor your sleep overnight.

For more information, please visit Midwest Center for Sleep Disorders.

Special Focus Section Archives
Women & Heart Disease
Sleep Disorders in Women
Hormone Replacement Therapy & Heart Disease