Life Cycle Impact on Sleep in Women

Abstract

There are many ways in which women experience sleep differently than men. In fact, women tend to respond differently to sleep disorders, sleep deprivation and deficiency, and face particular health outcomes as a result of poor sleep. Furthermore, sleep in women is affected by the many different changes that occur with the biological life cycles of menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Each phase of a woman’s life increases the risk of certain sleep disturbances in unique ways that may require distinct management. All these aspects make the understanding of sleep in women an important topic to study. This chapter will review sleep changes in females from the neonatal life to menopause.