Dental sleep medicine specialist Dr Sabrina Magid-Katz answers questions from EmpowHER about women and sleep.
Women are more likely than men to have insomnia and report daytime sleepiness. Among other causes, this can be related to hormone fluctuations during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause.
Hormonal changes may also be associated with weight gain contributing to obstructive sleep apnea, which is a condition where the soft tissues of the mouth and throat block one’s airway and breathing for periods. An estimated 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, including one in four women over the age of 65.
Younger women are not exempt from risk either.
