Ask Me Anything Part 19: The Sleep Science of Her

Dr. Eti Ben Simon returns for yet another AMA episode, this time specifically focussing on sleep and women. Together, they delve into the nuanced differences in sleep patterns between men and women, exploring aspects like sleep duration, quality, and architecture, including variations in deep sleep and REM sleep. They discuss how females generally sleep slightly longer, experience fewer awakenings, and have more deep sleep early in the night, alongside a quicker onset of REM sleep. The conversation also touches upon the potential health risks associated with shift work, particularly night shifts, highlighting an observed associational link with increased risks for certain cancers, such as breast and skin cancer, though emphasizing this is not necessarily causal.

The discussion then transitions to the profound impact of hormonal changes on female sleep throughout different life stages. Matt and Eti examine the common sleep disturbances during pregnancy, detailing the reasons such as physical discomfort, hormonal shifts, and frequent urination, and the consequences like mood disorders and increased risk of gestational diabetes. They further explore how sleep is affected by the menstrual cycle, with changes in REM and deep sleep across follicular and luteal phases, and then tackle the significant sleep challenges during menopause, including insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome, discussing management strategies like HRT and CBT-I.

Please note that Matt is not a medical doctor, and none of the content in this podcast should be considered medical advice in any way, shape, or form, nor prescriptive in any way.

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As always, if you have thoughts or feedback you’d like to share, please reach out to Matt or Eti:

Matt: Instagram @drmattwalker, X @sleepdiplomat, 

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@sleepdiplomatmattwalker9299

Eti: X @etoosh, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eti_bensimon/,  or email at [e-mail]