Sleep is an essential and most important part for the maintenance of physical as well as the mental well-being, but there are many women in the whole world who suffer from the different types of sleep disorders and this activity negatively impacts their health. Sleep disorder affects women health in various ways and there are different types of sleep disorders which vary from insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg’s syndrome, and narcolepsy to general disruption in sleep patterns caused by hormonal changes and lifestyle factors.
Sleep is the important part in every one’s life but in the case of women it is more important and necessary because women have a lot of responsibilities from taking care of their family to giving time to their children and husband.
Introduction
In this blog, there is a detailed discussion on the topic of how sleep disorder affects women health. We will also explore why sleep is important and why sleep disorders are more common in women. Not only that but in this blog, we will also discuss what steps should be taken to improve the quality of the sleep. Before discussing how sleep disorder affects women health it is necessary to understand what sleep disorder is.
What are sleep disorders?
Sleep disorder is actually the condition that affects the quality, duration or timing of the sleep. Sleep disorders are of many kinds and types. Sometimes they may be for small-time periods but sometimes they are for the long term and can negatively impact physical, mental or emotional health.
Sleep disorders are particularly more common in women’s because of their hormonal changes that occur throughout life such as during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. The life of a woman is full of hormonal changes so sleep disorders are more common in women. Understanding how sleep disorder affects women health is essential to ensuring proper treatment in improving overall well-being.
Why sleep disorders are common in women
Sleep disorders are more common in women due to a lot of reasons, and the most common among them are tied to hormonal changes and general-specific health issues.
Hormonal fluctuations: Women’s have to face hormonal changes throughout their life period, such as during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause. The most important hormones which fluctuate during these stages are estrogen and progesterone, both of these play an important role in sleep disorder.
Higher risk of anxiety and depression: Women are more prone to anxiety and depression than men, and this is the also come among the main reasons that why women have to face sleep disorders more than men. When the level of stress and anxiety are increased emotional health is disturbed and when the emotional health is disturbed the risk of sleep disorders are increased.
Medical conditions: Medical conditions also play an important role in sleep disorders. For example: women are more likely to experience chronic pain conditions like migraine and many more, which can disturbs sleep quality.
Caregiving Roles: Women often have lots of responsibilities and have to play multiple roles including taking care of children, managing household, and working outside the house. These lots of works make them emotionally weak and thus leads to sleep disorders.
These are the main reasons why sleep disorder affects women health. Now, let’s discuss the types of sleep disorders.
Types of sleep disorder affects women health
There are a lot of sleep disorder affects women health not only that but they also negatively impact their lifestyle. Below are the most common types of sleep disorders.
Insomnia
Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder among women. This type of sleep disorder greatly affects the health of women. Women with insomnia often feel tired and irritable during the day and they fell great difficulty in sleeping. Here are some common causes and symptoms of this disease.
Causes:
- Stress
- Hormonal changes
- Anxiety
- Depression
Symptoms: Common symptoms of insomnia are given below:
- Difficulty in sleeping
- Night awakening
- Waking up too early
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. It is actually the most common type of sleep disorder that occurs when the airways become blocked.
Causes: Some common causes of sleep apnea are given below:
- Obesity
- Hormonal changes
- Tonsils
Symptoms: Common symptoms of this disease are given below:
- Loud snoring
- Gasping of air during sleep
- Excessive day time sleepiness
Restless legs Syndrome
Restless legs Syndrome (RLS) is a condition where a woman feels an uncontrollable urge to move her legs, especially at night which can disturb normal and regular sleep. In this condition, women face great difficulty and thus lead to bad sleep.
Causes:
- Iron deficiency
- Pregnancy
Symptoms:
- Tingling in the legs
- Itching in the legs
- These conditions usually become worse at night.
Narcolepsy
It is a neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep wakes cycles. Women who suffer from this type of sleep disorder face excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.
Causes: The exact and most common causes of narcolepsy is still not known, but it is believed to be related to an autoimmune response that affects the brain production of hypocretin, a special hormone responsible for regulating wakefulness.
Symptoms:
- Sudden sleep attacks
- Sleep paralysis
How does sleep disorder affects women’s health physically
Sleep is really an essential thing for physical health of both the men and women but in case of women it becomes more critical due to hundreds of responsibilities on women’s shoulder. Sleep disorder affects women health completely.
Weight gain and obesity
Lack of sleep disturbs the normal hormonal balance, especially since there is a huge imbalance in hormones that control hunger such as ghrelin and leptin. Women who do not complete their sleep can feel more hunger and are more likely to over eat and thus leads to weight gain and obesity.
Heart disease and stroke
Sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in women. In this disease, the oxygen does not go to the heart and brain properly, which can strain the heart and increase blood pressure, thus raising the risk of heart diseases and stroke.
Diabetes and blood sugar control
Women with bad sleep quality are more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Poor sleep can interfere with the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar level, leading to insulin resistance and increase blood sugar level.
Chronic pain
Women with sleep disorders are more likely to have chronic pain issues. Women suffer from these conditions often experience worse pain due to sleep disorder.
How sleep disorder affects women’s health mentally
Sleep disorders not only just affect the physical health of the women but also play a main role in disturbing their mental health. Here are some of the common reasons by which you can easily understand how sleep disorder affects women health mentally.
Anxiety and depression
Insomnia and other sleep disorders are more likely to create anxiety and depression. Women who suffer from sleep disorders are more likely to experience mood swings.
Cognitive Function and Memory
Poor sleep impairs cognitive function, making it harder to concentrate, remember things, and make decisions. Women who do not get enough sleep feel very hard to remember things and thus are mentally very weak. Thus, sleep disorder affects women health mentally.
Mood swings
Sleep disorder is the main cause of mood swings. This makes women more prone to irritability, frustration, and emotional instability. This can greatly affect relationships and overall quality of life.
How sleep disorder affects women’s reproductive health
Sleep disorders have a direct impact on the reproductive health of the women. Poor sleep disturbs the reproductive health greatly. Not only that but is also disturbed hormonal balance, which is crucial and necessary for reproductive health. Now, let’s discuss how sleep disorder affects reproductive health of women.
Fertility issue
Sleep disorders greatly affect the reproductive health of the women. It disrupts the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone, and thus leads to difficulties in conceiving. In addition, the women who suffer from the different types of sleep disorders may have irregular menstrual cramps, which makes it harder to become pregnant.
Menstrual irregularities
As you know, lack of sleep affects the menstrual cramps, leading to irregular periods, heavy flow, or painful cramps. Sleep disorders affect the body’s hormonal balance and thus leads to more serious issues.
Pregnancy complications
Women who have sleep disorders are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy. Not only that but poor sleep can also increase the risk of postpartum depression.
Conclusion
Sleep disorder is not simple but it is a very serious issue and can greatly affect the life of a woman. The women with sleep disorder have to face a lot of problems from physical to mental and reproductive health. Sleep disorders decrease the quality of life. Not only that but poor sleep can also lead to chronic health issues like diabetes, anxiety, depression, heart diseases and even complications during pregnancy.
However, these disorders are manageable by making little changes in the lifestyle. Natural remedies can also be beneficial for this disease. If this problem was not solved then seeking medical treatment becomes necessary. It is important for women to prioritize their sleep and address any sleep related issues early to prevent long term health consequences.
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