This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
According to a recent survey by Bensons for Beds, women are losing a staggering three hours of sleep every night, with men's snoring being a significant contributor to this sleep deprivation.
Conducted among 2,000 couples, the study found that women are not only losing sleep due to their partner's snoring but also due to period pain and waking up to look after their children.
As a result, women are feeling less confident about themselves and their appearance, and their daily activities are being severely impacted, with healthy eating being the first thing to go out the window when they're tired.
Alarmingly, a third of the women surveyed said they woke up every single night, with one in two describing themselves as being 'constantly sleep deprived'. In comparison, only two in 10 men reported that their sleep was regularly disrupted.
The NHS website warns that regular poor sleep puts individuals at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, and can even shorten life expectancy.
So, what can women do to catch up on lost sleep? The NHS recommends trying to catch up on sleep over the weekend, adding an extra hour or two a night, and not setting an alarm clock if possible.
As one expert notes, 'If you've had months of restricted sleep, you'll have built up a significant sleep debt, so expect recovery to take several weeks.'
