Women Need more Sleep than Men because their Brains Work Harder, Science Says

As noted on King Demic, science confirms that women have more complex brains than men and therefore, they require more sleep. Jim Horne, professor and director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University explains that poor sleep in women has to do with high amounts of psychological distress and depression, anger, and hostility. In men, he further explains, these feelings are not connected with the same level of disrupted sleep.

The Importance of Sleep

In his book, Sleepfaring: A Journey through the Science of Sleep, Jim Horne talks about the necessity of getting quality and regular sleep. He asserts that sleep gives the brain time to repair and recover and during the phase of deep sleep, the cortex, which is a part of the brain associated with language and memory, disengages from the senses and starts recuperating.

He goes on to assert that the more we use our brain throughout the day, the more it needs to rejuvenate and you will require more sleep. A lot of women have the tendency to multitask and therefore, happen to use more of their brain than men and therefore, need to sleep longer.

However, this also means that men who work a more complex job that includes frequent decision-making and thinking will also require more sleep than the average man does. But, this will probably be shorter than the amount of sleep women need.

Why is this so, you are probably wondering, right?

Namely, the brain of a woman is differently wired from that of a man and hence, it is more complex. So, they require additional hours of sleep to get the needed rest. Averagely speaking, this amount is 20 more minutes but some women may require less or more.

Some experts also believe that women need more than the recommended 8 hours of sleep.

How to Better the Quality of Your Sleep

Very often, people suffer from insomnia or poor sleep quality and therefore, are unable to get the much needed rest for their body and mind. With this in mind, we decided to present several tips we found on King Demic on how to significantly improve your sleep. Let us check them out below:

  1. Stay away from stimulating foods before bed

Certain foods have a stimulating effect so it is best not to consume them prior to sleep. Some of these stimulants are coffee, cacao, chocolate, and sugar.

  1. Yoga

Asanas, that is, yoga poses, are excellent in preparing the body for a good night’s sleep and yoga is highly recommendable for people struggling with insomnia.

  1. Meditation

A woman’s brain works 24/7, which is why a lot of them experience poor quality of sleep. This is where meditation can be of aid because it helps the body enter a state of relaxation.

  1. Establish a routine

Setting up a sleep routine is pivotal so that the brain can learn and recognize when it is time to slow down and relax and consequently, you will be able to sleep better without waking up all the time.

  1. Melatonin supplements

A lot of experts consider melatonin to be of aid when it comes to encouraging sleep. Consult your physician for the best supplement to ensure quality sleep.

Source:

KING DEMIC