Sacred Rest for Women
“New research is shedding light on the unique ways women’s bodies depend on sleep to regulate hormones, recharge energy, and maintain resilience.”
The Science of Sleep: Why Women Need More Rest Than Men
Rest is a cornerstone of health, especially for women. Emerging research reveals that women generally need more sleep than men—about 10 hours a night—to support their unique biological and hormonal needs. Prioritising Rest allowed for better health outcomes.
Why Women Need More Sleep
Cognitive Load and Multi-Tasking
Studies suggest women’s brains are wired for multitasking, which requires significant mental energy and recovery time. Research from Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Centre found women’s brains work harder due to the multi-layered thinking often associated with balancing work, family, and emotional labour. This increased cognitive load means women’s brains need more downtime to recover fully.
Hormonal Health and Sleep Cycles
Hormonal fluctuations—whether tied to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause—impact sleep quality and quantity. For instance, the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, characterized by elevated progesterone levels, often causes increased tiredness and a need for more rest. Similarly, menopause is associated with changes in sleep architecture, including more frequent awakenings and lighter sleep. Longer sleep duration helps balance the toll of these disruptions and supports overall hormonal balance.
Restorative Sleep for Healing
Women’s bodies perform critical restorative processes during sleep, including repairing muscle tissue, regulating appetite hormones, and processing stress. A lack of adequate sleep can disrupt these functions, leading to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and anxiety disorders.
Hormonal Needs and Sleep
Research highlights that women generally need more sleep than men due to unique hormonal and physiological factors. Women often require about 8-10 hours of sleep, compared to the 6-8 hours that typically suffice for men. This difference stems from the distinct ways in which their bodies produce and regulate hormones.
Women rely heavily on their adrenal glands for daily hormone production, which plays a crucial role in managing stress, energy, and overall health. Insufficient or poor-quality sleep can impair adrenal function, leading to hormonal imbalances and heightened fatigue. In contrast, men depend primarily on their testes for hormone production, which continues to function independently of sleep quality. This key distinction underscores why uninterrupted rest is particularly critical for women to replenish their hormonal reserves.
Prioritizing Sleep for Women’s Health
To support optimal rest:
- Establish consistent sleep and wake times to regulate circadian rhythms.
- Create a restful bedtime routine—think calming rituals like warm drinks, bath or meditation.
- Explore restorative practices like yoga nidra or somatic movement, which complement nightly sleep.
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