You’ve heard the saying, “men are from Mars, women are from Venus.” As it turns out, the biological differences between men and women also extend to male and female sleeping patterns.
According to one study from Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Center in England, women need 20 minutes more sleep than men. One possible reason the researchers put forth? Women tend to use more of their brains during the day as they stay busy multitasking and doing a lot of things at once (really!).
And, Oura member data from 2020 backs this up: We found that women scored higher than men in almost all sleep markers, including total sleep time, more REM sleep, and more deep sleep.
Read on to discover the science behind the differences in male and female sleeping patterns, plus what the anonymized Oura data revealed about the differences in our members as well.
The Biology of Gender Differences in Sleep
Understanding the differences between male and female sleeping patterns is one thing, but getting familiar with the biological differences that cause these variations can help support better sleep.
According to Raphael Vallat, PhD, neuroscientist and senior machine learning data scientist at Oura, growing evidence indicates that, on average, women in the United States get more total sleep each day than men when counting nightly sleep and daytime naps. In one large study, the average time difference depended on age and ranged from five to 28 minutes.
However, women tend to experience more sleep fragmentation and lower quality sleep. Some researchers believe that many women have increased sleep quantity as an attempt to compensate for reduced sleep quality. A recent paper analyzing 11.14 million wearable nights from 69,000 adults confirmed that there are gendered sleep disparities that persist throughout our lifetimes.
In general, men sleep less than women across their lifespan — however, nighttime awakenings are more prevalent for women, especially during the child-rearing years of early to middle adulthood.
To understand these differences, let’s take a closer look at some of the biological and social factors that make men and women different sleepers.
6 Causes of Gender Differences in Sleep
1. Different Sleep Cycles
Studies indicate that differences in circadian rhythms may be behind the different sleep habits men and women tend to adopt. Although most people’s circadian rhythms are not exactly 24 hours long, women’s internal clocks are typically a few minutes shorter.
Because of this shorter sleep-wake cycle, women’s bodies can start sending out sleep signals up to two hours earlier than men’s. This means that women tend to wake up earlier and be alert early in the day, while men are typically more alert at night and find it easier to sleep later in the morning.
Whether you’re a morning person, a night owl, or somewhere in between, knowing your chronotype can help you manage your habits to make sure you get enough sleep. Oura members can now discover their chronotype, consult the Body Clock feature, and receive Bedtime Guidance based on their chronotype.
READ MORE: Oura Data Shows How Members’ Chronotypes Vary by Age, Gender, and Location
2. Hormonal Differences
Hormones play a significant role in the sleep differences between men and women, and we know that hormonal fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle cause sleep disruptions for women.
For example, studies show that a drop in estrogen and rising progesterone levels during the luteal (premenstrual) phase can affect women’s sleep quality. Additionally, hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause can cause insomnia and hot flashes that may disturb sleep.
RELATED: What Causes Period Nightmares?
But hormonal changes don’t just affect women — low levels of testosterone in men have been linked to sleep problems such as insomnia, lower sleep efficiency, and increased wakefulness during the night.
While there’
