In this sleep tip of the week, we are focusing on women’s health. Did you know that women are twice as likely as men to have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep due to a number of factors including hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, stress and environment? That means women are more prone to bouts of insomnia.
This is in part because our health is affected by a combination of unique components including fluctuating hormones caused by menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause, which can interfere with our sleep patterns.
Another contributor is the daily battles we face balancing life and work obligations as we are often the caregivers in the family who have to juggle multiple roles.
Now while it may be tempting to turn to supplements and over-the-counter sleep aids, it is important to evaluate your sleep habits and environment as well as to speak to the right healthcare professional before going down the road to self-diagnosing and treating yourself.
It is important to identify the root cause of sleep challenges including your internal physiology. There is a body clock in every cell of the body. A disrupted clock can affect communication skills by 30%, memory by 20%, decision-making by 50%, and attention by 75%. Understanding yours can go a long way to optimizing both your sleep and health. If you are struggling with sleep more than a few times a week it may be time to seek out assistance from a sleep specialist to identify if a behavioral or medical sleep disorder is present.
