Dead tired: The things that ruin women's sleep

"Sleep statistics also have a gender dimension: women sleep worse and report more fatigue than men. This is according to studies such as the Global Sleep Survey 2025, which, after analyzing interviews with more than 30,000 people in 13 countries, found that 38% of women have difficulty falling asleep more than three times a week, compared to 29% of men. Another study published in 2023 in the European Journal of Public Health also showed this trend: women tend to report worse sleep quality than men, even when the total hours are not very different, suggesting differences in how sleep is experienced and perceived between the sexes."

"According to Maria Jose Arostegui, a psychologist and member of the insomnia working group of the Spanish Sleep Society (SES), these problems often have a physical origin: Our endocrine system is closely linked to the sleep centers in the brain. Therefore, changes in estrogen and progesterone levels are crucial. Neurologist Ana Fernandez Arcos, from the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), explains that these alterations begin in puberty, when girls' circadian rhythm shifts earlier than boys'. The menstrual cycle causes variations in sleep architecture that, in some cases, can be clinically significant, with awakenings or less restorative sleep, she says."

Women generally experience poorer sleep and more fatigue than men, with higher prevalence of difficulty falling asleep and lower perceived sleep quality. The Global Sleep Survey 2025 found 38% of women have trouble falling asleep more than three times a week versus 29% of men. Hormonal factors link the endocrine system to brain sleep centers, making changes in estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and cortisol important contributors. Alterations begin at puberty, vary across the menstrual cycle, and intensify during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and perimenopause, producing awakenings, less restorative sleep, increased anxiety or depression, and more fragmented sleep overall.

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