Rock-a-bye Baby: Bedtime Advice for Moms

Moms have a new source of help for putting baby to sleep – the Internet. A yearlong review of the online Customized Sleep Profile shows that the advice given out there worked. Babies and toddlers – and their mothers – were able to sleep better as a result.

The Customized Sleep Profile has a database of sleep information stored in its memory. The information is separated into categories based on a child’s age. When a mom accesses the online program, she fills out a series of questions about her child and her child’s sleep habits. The program analyzes mom’s answers and finds comparable examples in its database.

Suggestions for improving the child’s sleep are based on these examples. The suggestions include things like following a regular bedtime routine, stopping night feedings, and answering fewer cries in the night.

The Customized Sleep Profile is available for free from Johnson & Johnson at http://www.johnsonsbaby.com/sleep .

To test the effectiveness of the Customized Sleep Profile, researchers sent surveys to 264 mothers who were using the online program. After three weeks, 90 percent of the moms said the Customized Sleep Profile was helpful and that they planned to continue using it. Their children were sleeping longer and waking up fewer times during the night, the moms said.

The moms also reported less tension, depression, fatigue and confusion because their babies were sleeping better.

A year later, researchers followed up with 171 of the moms still using the program. Their study was published in the Oct. 15 edition of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. The results show that the Customized Sleep Profile continued to be a valuable resource.

Read more about this study, or additional blog posts about infants and toddlers. The AASM has more about children’s sleep needs on the Your Sleep website.


Photo By: David Clow

Interrupted Sleep Could Impair Forming Memories

Uninterrupted sleep is the key to getting the right amount of rest. It not only helps physically, but mentally. In a new study, researchers at Stanford University discovered that sleep interruptions impair the brain’s ability to form memories.

Scientists assumed that memory would become hindered because of a lack of sleep continuity. Memory problems can be seen in people who suffer from alcoholism or sleep apnea. Both of these problems can cause sleep discontinuity.

The problem researchers faced was finding a way to break sleep into shorter segments without affecting the intensity or duration of sleep. The solution: optogenetics. This is a new technique that can genetically engineer specific cells to be able to be controlled by visible light pulses. Researchers performed this method on the neurons of the brain that help it switch between sleep and wakeful states.

Using mice as test subjects, researchers found that by hitting the rodents’ brain cells with 10-second bursts of light; they could break up their sleep without affecting the intensity or duration of the sleep.

After the test was completed, the mice were then given two objects. One was familiar while the other object was new to the mice. After interrupted sleep, the mice took just as long to investigate the familiar object as the new one. The mice spent more time with the new object when their sleep was not interrupted.

After testing different variations of sleep interruption, the researchers concluded that if the mice were allowed 62-73% of the normal sleep duration, it would not affect memory. Study co-author H. Craig Heller, professor of biology at Stanford University, believes that the findings show that sleep continuity is critical for memory.

It remains unclear how much uninterrupted sleep is needed to prevent memory impairment in humans. The researchers did say however that the memory problems experienced by people with sleep disorders are most likely due to disruption of continuity in their sleep.

Photo by: Tim Snell

Live World Cup coverage causing U.S. viewers to lose sleep

Once every four years the beautiful game interferes with beauty sleep on a worldwide scale. Soccer fans far away from the World Cup host country have no choice but to set their alarm clocks early or stay up late to see their nation’s squad compete on the biggest stage in sports.

This year fans in Europe and Africa have the circadian advantage. The World Cup, broadcasted live from South Africa, will air during afternoons and evenings those surrounding time zones.

The broadcast times for the World Cup aren’t as friendly for fans in Asia or the Americas. Monday’s first match, between the Netherlands and Denmark, started at 4:30 a.m. for viewers in the Pacific time zone. Ouch.

Ten total first-round World Cup games are scheduled for the earliest start time:

South Korea-Greece
Algeria-Slovenia (the Americans' group)
Netherlands-Denmark
New Zealand-Slovakia
Chile-Honduras
Argentina-South Korea
Germany-Serbia
Netherlands-Japan
Paraguay-Slovakia
Portugal-North Korea

There’s a better option than an alarm clock sitting in entertainment centers these days. The Sleep Education blogger prefers to use Tivo or a DVR box to automatically record games. The devices allow viewers to rewind and fast-forward live television, and skip past the excess pre-match presentations and lengthy commercial breaks.

The best option is to sleep through those early World Cup matches, and watch them at your own convenience.

At the very least you can sleep a couple dozen minutes extra and fast-forward past those distractions. In no time you will be caught up with the live broadcast.
Thankfully, the early morning matches will start to disappear as the World Cup progresses. The final rounds all have early afternoon start times for American viewers.

The Sleep Education blog recognizes the excitement the World Cup brings but cautions against cutting back on sleep for soccer-watching. Even losing an hour of sleep a night will yield negative effects, especially over a couple weeks. As sleep debt builds, so do the symptoms.

Sleepeducation.com reports common symptoms of chronic sleep deprivation include:

·Daytime sleepiness

·Irritability/ symptoms of depression

·Lack of motivation

·Shortened attention span

·Impaired judgment

See the entire FIFA World Cup schedule

Sleep in Space

Space shuttle Endeavour launched on Wed., July 15, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Today the shuttle undocked from the International Space Station.

After 13 days in space, how has the shuttle’s crew been sleeping? Surprisingly well, MSNBC reports.

"We sleep very well in space,” Endeavour astronaut Julie Payette told reporters. “Can you imagine? We have a sleeping bag each, and when you get into it you float in the sleeping bag...So all you have to do is just attach it somewhere."

Astronauts haven’t always slept so soundly in space. A 2001 study of five astronauts found that their average sleep duration was only about 6.5 hours per day.

Subjective sleep quality also was poor. They had less of the deep stage of slow-wave sleep during the last third of their sleep period.

One challenge that can hinder sleep in space is the highly variable light-dark cycle. NASA reports that the sun rises every 90 minutes during a mission.

Long missions can be especially challenging. A 2001 case study found that space missions lasting more than three months may lead to more sleep problems.

What about waking up in space? That’s when the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, gets involved.

It sends wake-up music to the space shuttle crew. This morning the wake-up song was “Proud to Be an American” by Lee Greenwood.

STS-127 is the 127th space shuttle flight; it is the 29th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.

Endeavour is scheduled to land at Kennedy Space Center on Friday at 10:47 a.m. EDT.

Learn more about space sleep from NASA. Read more about sleeping provisions for astronauts.

Image courtesy of NASA

Do All Animals Sleep?

Over the weekend a New York Times editorial longingly observed how “effortlessly” farm animals seem to sleep. In contrast, people seem to work at sleeping – or at avoiding sleep as much as possible.

“What a lot of shut-eye all the other species get, and how sleep-deprived humans seem in comparison!” the editorial lamented. “To grasp the force of human culture, all you have to do is consider how hard we try to organize our sleeping.”

One way researchers try to unlock the mysteries of human sleep is by studying sleep in other species. Results show a diversity of sleep habits.

A 2008 study involved brown-throated, three-toed sloths. The results emphasized the importance of studying animals in their natural environment.

In captivity sloths sleep for more than 16 hours per day, BBC News reported. But the study found that they only slept for 9.6 hours in the wild.

Last month BBC News reported on a study of fire ants. It found that queen ants fell asleep 90 times a day; these sleep periods lasted a little longer than six minutes. Their total daily sleep was more than nine hours.

In contrast, a single worker took 250 naps per day; each nap lasted just longer than a minute. Their total sleep was only 4 hours and 48 minutes a day.

The article added that this productivity may come with a cost: The worker ants only live for months; the queen ants live for years.

A 2009 study examined the sleep of dolphins. A dolphin only sends half of its brain to sleep; the other half remains conscious.

The dolphins in the study were able to remain vigilant over a five-day period, MSNBC reported. They also showed no signs of sleep deprivation.

It’s often assumed that every animal sleeps in one way or another. But is this true? Do all animals sleep?

It’s a difficult question to answer; it can be hard to tell whether an observed animal is sleeping or in a state of “quiet rest.”

UCLA’s Jerome Siegel published a review of the evidence in 2008. According to Siegel, we may be wrong to assume that there is a “universal state of sleep” among all animals.

“The evidence that all animals have a state that meets the accepted definitions of sleep is quite poor,” he concluded.

How much do animals sleep? Find out on the Neuroscience for Kids Web site.

Image by Alfonso Gonzalez

Wii Sleep: A Nintendo Solution for Insomnia?

In January the Sleep Education Blog reported on the benefits of playing the old-school video game Tetris; it can be a visual distraction that may reduce flashbacks and nightmares after a stressful event.

Now Nintendo is developing a video game application that is light years ahead of Tetris; the Wii Vitality Sensor may even help you fall asleep.

Nintendo introduced the device at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). The annual video game industry trade show was held earlier this week in Los Angeles.

A Nintendo press release said that the Wii Vitality Sensor will detect your pulse and other body signals. This will give you information about “the body’s inner world.”

The Telegraph reports that Nintendo President Satoru Iwata envisions the device as a potential sleep aid.

“It may not be long before games help people unwind or even fall asleep,” said Iwata.

Learn more about insomnia on SleepEducation.com.

Image by Nintendo

Sleep & Memory: “That Face Looks Familiar”

Studies show that there is a strong link between sleep and memory. A new study even examines how sleep affects memory for face identity. Does sleep help you recognize a familiar face?

The study involved 112 volunteers; their average age was 25 years. Each participant was shown 60 computer-generated faces in random order.

The heads were bald, and the faces had no unique features such as a mole or a scar. Each face was shown on a computer screen for two seconds at a time. The entire set of faces was shown five times.

Recognition was tested after varying periods of time. Some people were tested after getting sleep; others were tested before getting any sleep. Sixty faces were shown; 30 faces had been seen earlier, and 30 were new faces that had never been seen before.

The results do not show that sleep enhances memory strength. But they do suggest that time spent awake during the retention period impairs memory for face identity.

Wakefulness of 12 hours or more had a detrimental impact on recognition memory strength; it made participants less likely to feel familiar with a test face.

The authors suggest that ongoing sensory stimulation when awake may interfere with visual memory. Sleep may not actively enhance visual memory; but it may temporarily prevent memory loss by “sheltering” visual memory from interference.

Read the full text of the study online.

Do the Babies of Depressed Moms Have More Sleep Disturbances?

A small study in the journal Sleep examined the sleep of babies born to mothers who struggle with depression.

Results show that these babies are more likely to have disturbed sleep at 2 weeks of age. These sleep problems remain present at the age of 6 months.

The study involved 18 healthy, full-term babies. Seven “low-risk” infants were born to women with no history of depression. Eleven “high-risk” babies were born to women diagnosed with depression or with high levels of depression symptoms.

Babies born to depressed moms took an hour longer to fall asleep at night. They also had shorter periods of sleep. Their average total sleep time during a 24-hour period was similar to the “low-risk” babies. But their nightly sleep was 97 minutes shorter; during the daytime they had more sleep episodes of a shorter average duration.

Are these sleep problems directly linked to the mother’s depression? Is it the mother’s hormone levels that affect the infant’s sleep? This is still unclear, study author Roseanne Armitage, PhD, told the AASM.

“Whether it is maternal hormones that ‘cause’ the sleep problems in infants is not yet known,” she said. “It could be genetic, hormonal, or both.”

But Armitage thinks that it is possible to improve the sleep of babies born to depressed moms. A behavioral or environmental intervention may be helpful.

Learn more about how to help your infant sleep better on SleepEducation.com.

The “Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009”

Earlier this year the Sleep Education Blog reported on the recent resurgence of bed bugs. Now Rep. G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina is sponsoring federal legislation to fight back.

H.R. 2248 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 5. It is called the “Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009.” The bill would “establish a grant program to assist States in inspecting hotel rooms for bed bugs.” It has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The bill has eight cosponsors. Among them are Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida, Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas.

The bill reports that the population of cimex lectularius – or bed bugs – has increased in the U.S. by 500 percent in the past few years. Lodging facilities are most vulnerable.

According to the bill, bed bugs can travel through the ventilation systems in multi-unit housing. And female bed bugs can lay up to five eggs in a day and 500 in a lifetime. The bill also cites a study of 700 hotel rooms between 2002 and 2006; 25 percent of hotels needed treatment for bed bugs.

The bill would authorize $50 million in annual grant money for fiscal years 2010 to 2013. States would be eligible for grants to inspect lodging facilities for bed bugs; to qualify a state would have to inspect at least 20 percent of rooms each year. “Lodging facilities” are defined as hotels, motels and inns that have at least 10 rooms for commercial lodging.

The bill also calls for the CDC to “investigate the public health implications of bed bugs on lodging and housing.” Specific concerns include how bed bugs may affect mental health, spread disease or contribute to problems such as asthma. The CDC would have to submit a report to Congress by Dec. 31, 2010.

Image by louento.pix

Mother’s Day: Restless Legs, Sleepless Moms

Every mom deserves a good night of sleep for Mother’s Day. But good sleep can be especially hard to come by for women with restless legs syndrome.

RLS involves a strong, almost irresistible urge to move your legs. This urge gets worse at night and eases in the morning. The need to move your legs increases when you lie or sit still. Temporary relief can be found by walking or moving the legs.

Often RLS also involves an uncomfortable feeling in the legs. It may be hard to describe what this feels like. It might be a burning, prickling, itching or tingling sensation.

RLS can have a severe effect on your sleep. It may prevent you from falling asleep. It also may keep you from returning to sleep if you wake up during the night.

Women are more likely than men to have RLS. It also is common during pregnancy.

There are many drugs that can help treat RLS. Mirapex and Requip are both FDA-approved for RLS. Reuters reported recently that Lyrica also may be a helpful treatment for RLS.

Last week the Dallas Morning News shared one woman’s story of what it’s like to suffer from RLS. “It's as if everything from the waist down wants to dance when everything from the waist up wants to sleep,” she says.

You can get help for RLS from an AASM-accredited sleep center near you.

Sleep & the H1N1 “Swine Flu” Virus

The H1N1 flu virus, or “swine flu,” has infected people in 20 countries. This includes people in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

How can you protect yourself from this new virus?

The CDC advises you to get plenty of sleep. This will help your body to maintain a strong immune system.

In January the Sleep Education Blog reported on a study linking sleep and the immune system. Participants were exposed to a “rhinovirus” – the common cold.

People who reported sleeping less than seven hours per night were three times more likely to develop a cold. The AASM recommends that adults get seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

To keep from getting the flu, the CDC also recommends that you wash your hands often. Keep active, eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

The CDC advises you to stay home from work or school if you develop symptoms of the flu. These include a fever, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue. Stay home for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours.

If you feel sick you may want to contact your doctor. He or she will determine if flu testing or treatment is needed.

Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug for you. This type of medicine can make your illness milder and help you feel better faster.

The two antiviral drugs approved by the FDA for treating the H1N1 flu virus are Tamiflu and Relenza. Currently there are no licensed vaccines for the H1N1 flu virus.

The FDA, FTC and Health Canada all report that some Internet sites may sell products with the false claim that they will prevent or cure the H1N1 virus. You should contact your doctor before buying any of these products online.

Image by Robert Terrell

Help Your Infant or Toddler Sleep with This Simple Bedtime Routine

The solution to your child’s sleep problems might be a bedtime routine. A new study in the journal Sleep shows that a nightly routine helps young children sleep better.

What was the routine? The first step was for mothers to give their child a bath. The second step was to give a massage to infants or apply lotion to toddlers. The third step was to engage their child in quiet activities. This might involve cuddling or singing a lullaby. Finally the mothers turned out the lights within 30 minutes of the end of the bath.

This simple, nightly routine made a big difference. Children fell asleep faster, and they had fewer and shorter night wakings. Toddlers were less likely to call out to their parents or get out of their crib or bed.

The study involved 405 children between 7 months and 3 years of age. Mothers completed a daily sleep diary that included details of their child’s sleep patterns.

Go to SleepEducation.com to get more details about how this routine helped children sleep – and improved the mood of mothers.

Sleep Problems Increase Cancer Pain

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that sleep problems may lead to increased pain and fatigue in cancer patients.

Previous research has shown that sleep problems are common in people who have cancer. A 2007 study in the journal Sleep found that 41 percent of people with cancer reported having chronic insomnia.

So why are the results of this new study surprising? It was expected that pain would be a cause of sleep problems. But instead the evidence pointed in the other direction; the study found that sleep problems may lead to an increase in pain.

“We believed we would find a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and pain,” study author Edward J. Stepanski told the AASM. “But instead…trouble sleeping was more likely a cause, rather than a consequence, of pain in patients with cancer.”

The study involved 11,445 cancer patients. About 74 percent were women; 29 percent had breast cancer. More than half of the study subjects reported having trouble sleeping; 26 percent had moderate or severe sleep problems. Increases in depressed mood also led to increased ratings of pain.

The average age of participants was 61.5 years. Younger people were more likely to have trouble sleeping. The authors suggest that this may be a treatment effect since younger patients often receive more aggressive chemotherapy.

Stepanski said that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help cancer patients who have insomnia. Improving their sleep may reduce their pain and fatigue.

A 2007 study in the journal Sleep showed that disturbed sleep can affect your pain threshold. It can impair how the body inhibits pain. It also can increase spontaneous pain.

Sleep and Memory: Remembering & Forgetting

A new article in Newsweek provides an overview of how “sleeping on it” improves memory.

Forming memories. Consolidating memories. Making connections between memories. Sleep appears to play an important role in all these processes.

Another Newsweek article examines whether or not we can learn to forget. New research shows that memory “reconsolidation” may be possible.

Being able to change long-term memories could have practical benefits. In particular it could aid people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Nightmares tend to be the most disturbing feature of PTSD. Most people with PTSD also report having disturbed sleep.

Finally, Newsweek offers an online memory Q&A. Find answers to some of the most common questions about memory.

How White Noise & Sound Machines Can Help You Sleep

“White Noise” would have been a great name for an ‘80s rock band. Sort of a cross between Whitesnake and Quiet Riot.

Instead it’s music to the ears of many insomnia sufferers. And like a popular rock band, white noise has a large fan base.

A recent article from Columbia News Service reports that there are 20 white noise-related groups on Facebook. And demand was so high for the eight-sound White Noise iPhone application that a new version with more than 40 sounds was released.



But not everyone relies on such high-tech sounds to help them fall asleep. Many use a simple box fan or an oscillating fan. The article describes one woman who relies on the sound of a hair dryer.

There also are a variety of sound machines available for purchase. Some only generate a constant white noise. Others offer soothing sounds such as rain or ocean waves.

Consumer Reports recently reviewed three models. All three of the units blocked out at least some unwanted sounds.

InventorSpot has a glowing review of a classic white noise machine. And the New York Times recently reported on a “smart” sound machine that responds to disrupting noises by increasing its sound output.

So what exactly is white noise, and what’s the big deal about it?

White noise is a combination of the many frequencies of sound. It’s a soothing noise that can help you relax and fall asleep. It can be a simple treatment for some people who have insomnia.

It also helps raise your “arousal threshold.” This means that you can sleep through noises that would otherwise wake you up. The white noise helps cover up disturbing sounds such as a train whistle or a noisy neighbor. It can be a solution for some causes of environmental sleep disorder.

Research shows that white noise also may benefit other groups of people. A 2008 study concluded that it could be helpful for college students.

A 2005 study found that white noise may reduce sleep disruptions for intensive-care unit (ICU) patients. A 2002 study reports that it may help people with acute stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.

It also can help shift workers who must sleep during the day. A focus group of night-shift nurses found that many used white noise to improve the quality and quantity of daytime sleep.

White noise also may help babies fall asleep. A study of 20 newborns found that infants were more likely to fall asleep within five minutes in response to white noise.

Melatonin Improves Sleep Problems in Children with Autism

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that melatonin supplements may be helpful for children with autism.

The small study involved 12 children between the ages of 2 and 15 years. Each child had either autistic spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome, or both problems. The children took 3 mg of melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime for two weeks.

Results show that melatonin improved three aspects of their sleep. The children slept for an average of 21 more minutes each night. The length of time it took them to fall asleep was 28 minutes shorter. And the time of night when they fell asleep was 42 minutes earlier.

The study reports that sleep problems are common in children with autism. Senior author Beth L. Goodlin-Jones, PhD, told the AASM that these problems can affect the entire family.

“Sleep-onset problems at the beginning of the night are very troublesome for children and their families,” said Goodlin-Jones. “Sometimes children may take one to two hours to fall asleep, and often they disrupt the household during this time.”

According to the authors, other studies have suggested that children with autism or fragile X syndrome may have abnormal melatonin levels. This hormone plays an important role in regulating sleep.

The authors also report that other strategies can improve sleep problems in these children. Options include behavior therapy and good sleep hygiene.

The NINDS estimates that three to six out of every 1,000 children have autism. Males are four times more likely than females to have it. Other forms of autistic spectrum disorder include Asperger syndrome and Rett syndrome.



The NINDS also reports that children with autism have a higher risk of fragile X syndrome. This genetic condition can cause mental retardation.

Learn more about melatonin at SleepEducation.com.

Sleep and Memory: Survival of the Fittest?

An article in the April issue of The Scientist takes an in-depth look at a new theory about sleep and memory.

The theory proposes that sleep’s core function is to prune the synapses formed when you are awake. Only the strongest neuronal connections “survive.”

Thus the most important connections remain; unimportant connections are eliminated. This pruning process boosts learning and memory.

The article addresses a number of questions about the theory.

Will it replace the theory that the purpose of sleep is to replay memories and “consolidate” them? What role does slow-wave sleep play in this process? What about rapid eye movement (REM) sleep? And where do memory patterns fit in – are specific memories reactivated and reorganized during sleep?

Also, how does the theory align with another study published in February? That study suggests that sleep strengthens connections instead of weakening them.

Read the article to find out more.

Sleep Through the Centuries

Sleep has been around for…well, for centuries. So have sleep disorders. And remedies for sleep problems.

An exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., explores 17th-century beliefs and ideas about sleep. “To Sleep, Perchance to Dream” pulls back the covers on sleep in Renaissance England.

Topics include preparing for sleep. (Use a bed and bedding that are less likely to attract “vermin.”) How to sleep. (Sleep was divided into “first” and “second” sleeps.) Theories about sleep. (It may be the product of digestion.) Sleep aids. (There were numerous recipes to treat insomnia.)

And dreams. The exhibit shows that – like today – people in the 17th century were fascinated by dreams and nightmares. What they are. Why we have them. What they mean. How to control them.

A New York Times review calls it an “entrancing exhibition.” The Times also has a slideshow of images from the exhibit.

The exhibition continues through May 30. Visit the Folger Web site for an online tour.

Why Do We Sleep?

An article from the University of Wisconsin takes a closer look at one of the research teams that just published a new study on sleep and memory.

It explains how their research is taking the study of sleep and memory in new directions. It also examines the question that lies at the foundation of their research: Why?

Why do we sleep? It’s a simple question. And progress is being made to answer it. But definitive answers remain elusive.

“Why is it that the brain cells need to sleep?” researcher Chiara Cirelli said in the article. “That’s really what we are trying to understand.”

Cirelli and colleague Giulio Tononi probed this question last fall in the essay “Is sleep essential?” They conclude that there is still no consensus for “the elusive phoenix of sleep.”

Emmanuel Mignot explored this “unsolved mystery” last year in “Why we sleep: the temporal organization of recovery.” He concludes that it is still unclear why sleep is required. But “recent work suggests multiple roles.”

And Jerome Siegel addressed the topic in the 2003 article “Why we sleep.” He writes that “we have no comparably straightforward explanation for sleep.” But sleep research has led to numerous “reasonable proposals.”

A group from Spain offered a more controversial perspective in the 2007 article “The trivial function of sleep.” They argue that “sleep does not provide additional advantages over simple rest.”

So why do we sleep? Researchers are exploring complex answers to this simple question. And the debate is sure to continue.

Who Sleeps Better – Women or Men?

A new study takes an objective look at the sleep of 1,324 men and women. Who were the better sleepers?

In this case it was the women. During one night in a sleep lab they had a higher percentage of sleep time than the men. They also had a higher percentage of deep, slow wave sleep.

Another part of the study involved 66 young, healthy volunteers. An “external stressor” disturbed their sleep during the night to see how they responded.

Again the women slept better than the men. Their sleep was less disturbed.

“Young women are superior to men in terms of sleep mechanisms,” Dr. Alexandros Vgontzas told the Sleep Education Blog. He and his team conducted the research at the Penn State College of Medicine.

But it is important to note that the women in this study had no sleep complaints. Many women have ongoing sleep problems that can prevent them from sleeping well.

Examples include restless legs syndrome and leg cramps. And women are more likely than men to have insomnia.

“Women indeed have more insomnia complaints than men,” said Vgontzas. “This is primarily because they suffer from depression more frequently.”

Vgontzas added that female hormones can play a protective role in helping young women sleep well. But women can lose this advantage when hormonal changes occur as they age.

In the study menopause was associated with a decrease in deep sleep. It also took more time for menopausal women to fall asleep.

Learn more from the AASM about sleep and women.