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Sleep disturbances increase with advancing age in both women and men although inherent gender differences are apparent. Older women take longer to fall asleep, have greater difficulty in staying asleep, have more daytime sleepiness, less stage 1 and stage 2 NREM sleep. Older women are also more likely to develop insomnia, the restless sleep syndrome and its accompanying sleep disturbances and have more obstructive sleep apneic symptoms compared to older men [1].

Author(s)

  • Franco Guidozzi
    Chief Specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
    Academic Head of Department
    University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Health Sciences
    South Africa

Citations

  1. Guidozzi F. Sleep and
    sleep disorders in menopausal women. Climacteric 2013;16:214-19
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23205646
  2. Krishnan V, Collop NA.
    Gender differences in sleep disorders. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2006;12:383-9
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17053485
  3. Paul KN, Turek FW, Kryger
    MH. Influence of sex on sleep regulatory mechanisms. J Women’s Health
    2008;17:1201-8
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18710368
  4. Mallampali MP, Carter
    CL. Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: a Society for Women’s
    Health research report. J Women’s Health 2014;23:553-62
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24956068
  5. Arber S, Bote M, Meadows
    R. Gender and socio-economic patterning of self-reported sleep problems in
    Britain. Soc Sci Med 2009;68:281-9
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19026480
  6. Manber R, Baker FC,
    Gress JL. Sex differences in sleep and sleep disorders: a focus on women’s
    sleep. Int J Sleep Disorders 2006;1:7-15
  7. Guidozzi F. Gender
    differences in sleep in older men and women. Climacteric 2015;18:715-21
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26249643
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