The Real Reasons Why Men Fall Asleep So Much Faster Than Women

Sure, women can function on no sleep. We understand that going without sleep is part of life. We put on our big girl panties and get to work, but here's the problem with that attitude. It's bad for our health. It's actually ironic that women have more sleep issues than men, because we're the ones whose health is really affected by lack of sleep.

A 2007 study in Sleep studied the health effects of poor sleep on 3,508 men and 3,388 women. Researchers found an association between shorter sleep duration and an increased risk for heart attacks in middle-aged women. They did not see this same association in men. Women who report not getting enough sleep and waking often throughout the night are at higher risk for heart disease. This finding is scary, because so many of us experience disturbed sleep for years or even decades.

Insufficient sleep can also lead to accelerated skin aging, blood clots, stroke, and psychiatric problems in women. Sleep expert Michael Breus told The Australian that women's moods are severely affected by lack of sleep. "We found that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility early in the morning" after a night without enough sleep, he said. Sleep is clearly crucial for us women, so it is time to make it a true priority.