Why Women Don’t Sleep Well

Attention, ladies! If you’re having trouble getting the sleep you need to feel amazing each day, you’re not alone. For a variety of reasons, women are more likely to lie awake at night than their male counterparts. From simple biology to personal circumstances, women often struggle to get the rest they need to live their lives to the fullest.

The good news is that while sleep issues are common amongst women, they are not untreatable. Aside from medications and sleep therapy, there are many ways you can combat your sleepless nights and get some shut-eye the natural way.

Here, we’ll cover some of the main reasons why you might not be getting your best sleep possible and share some easy (and cozy) ways to get back on track.

What Are The Causes For Poor Sleep?

Women suffer from sleep disturbances for a wide range of reasons. Some are biological, constitutional, situational, or societal. Let’s uncover some of the most common reasons women tend to be more susceptible to sleeping woes.

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Biology At Play

Hormone Imbalances
Hormones are a major cause of sleep disturbances in women. Women’s hormones should fluctuate regularly, but these changes can cause a host of issues if the fluctuations fall out of balance. Common side effects include insomnia, anxiety, hot flashes, and night sweats.

Restless Leg Syndrome
It’s believed that Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS, affects up to 18% of women in the United States. RLS is a neurological condition with uncomfortable sensations in the legs that leads to twitching, shifting, and sleeplessness.

Mental Health
Stress, anxiety, and depression can also have a strong effect on sleep quality. Studies show that women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from anxiety than men, and this anxiety often keeps us up at night and prevents restful sleep. The cycle continues as poor sleep then leads to increased anxiety.

Work And Society Pressures

Moms and Caregivers
Motherhood is one of life’s most important jobs, and it’s no surprise that it can be a major cause of loss of sleep! After pregnancy, hormones can become greatly unbalanced and make getting quality sleep difficult. The anxiety and stress associated with these major bodily changes can also cause issues with insomnia and restlessness. A natural sleep solution for many pregnant women is a weighted blanket.

For women who are caregivers to their spouses, parents, or other family members, the same holds true. Worrying about these heavy responsibilities and commitments can keep us up at night and wear our energy thin.

Work Schedules
Shift work and irregular working cycles can throw a wrench into our natural sleep habits. Women who work irregular or night shifts often suffer from insomnia and fatigue. In addition to sleep troubles, these women are also more susceptible to irregular menstrual cycles, infertility challenges, and pregnancy difficulties. This is most likely due to hormonal changes that occur with an irregular circadian rhythm and loss of sleep.

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Why Women Must Get Better Sleep

Better sleep = better health.

If there’s one simple thing you can do to improve your overall health tenfold, it’s sleeping better. Quality sleep affects every aspect of health. From our mood to productivity, cardiovascular health to illness prevention, stress management and pain relief, sleep is a necessary joy.

While sleep is key for all of us humans, it’s particularly important for women. As women, we have additional biological needs for rest and relaxation. Many women are chronic over-committers and take on additional responsibilities in their family and social lives. To give others our best, we must first give ourselves the best. That starts with our most basic need – rest.

Sleep Better Tonight With These Tips

Are you ready to ditch the sleepless nights and finally get the rest that you deserve? Follow our simple tips for better sleep, starting tonight!

• Set up a bedtime alarm. One of the most important ways to improve your sleep is to stick to a schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and set your morning alarm for about 7-9 hours later.

• Create your perfect bedtime ritual. Choose a few activities you love that help you wind down at night. Settle in with a short meditation, soothing skincare routine, and a few minutes of light reading. Or, try nighttime yoga, tidying to soothing music, and journaling. Whatever helps your mind turn-off and prepare for rest will do the trick!

• Avoid electronics, email, texts, work reading, and heavy conversations at night. These things can stimulate your mind and lead to increased stress and anxiety - even long after you’ve turned off the lights.

• Move daily. Exercise is one of the best ways to help regulate your sleep cycle and make sure you’re ready for bed when the time comes. It also busts stress and anxiety.

• Get under pressure. Weighted blankets are a simple but life-changing way to improve your sleep and reboot your mental health. Bearaby’s weighted blankets are designed to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep all night long. Sleeping under a weighted blanket is like having a soothing hug all night long. Let the worries go and drift into a restorative sleep.

• Set boundaries. If you are a woman with too many commitments or family responsibilities, it’s time to enlist some help. Say no to the events or tasks that you’d be better off without. Explain to your family how you’d like to get better sleep and make nighttime relaxation a treat for the whole crew.

• Eat for sleep. Sugar and caffeine are great ways to keep your mind up all night. Avoid these after 2 PM, or completely if you’re up to the challenge! Finish your last meal of the day at least two hours before bedtime for proper digestion and more efficient rest.

• Go natural. Still struggling with insomnia? Try natural remedies like chamomile or kava tea, or reach out to a holistic healthcare practitioner.

Bearaby Is A Lady’s Best Friend

Improving your sleep should be a multi-pronged approach. Most women will do best by combining a few dedicated lifestyle changes and trusted sleep hacks. Our favorite sleep hack is, of course, the Bearaby weighted blanket, the Napper.

We know how important sleep is to our physical and mental health, and we did our homework when it comes to the scientific benefits of sleeping under a weighted blanket. It all comes down Deep Touch Pressure therapy–applying even pressure on our body, usually in the form of squeezing, hugging, or firm holding. A weighted blanket proves the exact same feeling and benefits, giving you a calming effect that reduces stress and improves anxiety.

That’s because the pressure of a hug (or in our case, a cozy weighted blanket) causes a spike in our body’s happiness hormone, serotonin. Serotonin then naturally converts into melatonin, which is a key part of our falling-asleep and staying-asleep cycle. In other words, a weighted blanket can be key to catching (and keeping) those precious zzz’s.

We’re on a mission to beat stress, soothe anxiety, and make sleeping joyful again. Remember ladies, you’re not alone. Talking openly about your sleep struggles, and taking the time to prioritize good rest can set a good example for your family members, your friends, even your boss! The more we share our challenges, the more support we may get from those around us.

Sweet dreams!