Differences In How Men And Women Sleep

There are many helpful ways to fall asleep.  It is important to make sure that everyone in your family gets enough sleep and sleeps well.

Some children sleep different lengths of time, either shorter or longer. Parents lose sleep as a result of their child’s bedtime and sleeping patterns.

One sleep stage is known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Children or people having trouble sleeping usually miss the REM part of their sleep cycle. If your child has an ongoing sleep problem, then you should talk to your child’s doctor or to a sleep specialist.

Men also may keep an irregular sleep schedule. But it is believe that most all of these people have just developed poor sleep habits.
 
But, insomnia can be caused by another disorder, by changes in the sleep environment, by the timing of sleep, or by stress. Researchers do not know exactly why people need sleep, but we do know that lack of sleep can kill. Humans deprived of sleep for long periods begin hallucinating and develop other mental problems

Sleep plays a vital role in promoting health and well being. Experts suggest that most men and women need about seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Yet there are many differences in how men and women sleep. In general women tend to sleep more than men, going to bed and falling asleep earlier. A woman’s sleep shows a tendency to be lighter and more easily disturbed. Women are more likely to feel unrefreshed even after a full night of sleep.
In the United States, and in many other countries, sleep deprivation is common among students. School aged children should be getting between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep but many do not. A National Sleep Foundation survey found that college/university-aged students get an average of 6.8 hours of sleep each night.

Sleeping for only five hours a night may change our appearance because of the link between obesity and insufficient sleep.

So it is a good idea to have your family doctor check you and your family to make sure there is not a medical reason for poor sleep.

Here are some suggestions to try if you or anyone in your family is having trouble with sleep.
1. Sleep on a regular schedule – go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the morning – even on weekends.
2. Avoid caffeine, sugar, or candy – as these foods act to stimulate your body – especially a child’s.
3. Avoid daytime napping – as that can also disturb your regular sleep cycle.But the same is not really true for young children or elderly adults, as the sleep cycle of the very young and the very old are different.
4. Good stress management – leave work at work, and school at school – your hours off should be your time to relax.
5.  A Harvard study found that daily yoga for eight weeks improved total sleep time, and the time to fall asleep.
6. Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a promising natural remedy for sleep.
7. Carbohydrate snacks such as whole grain crackers before bedtime may help to promote sleep. 
8. Gentle, slow music is another remedy that can help to improve sleep without medication. Music has been found to improve sleep quality, decrease nightly awakenings, lengthen sleep time, and increase satisfaction with sleep.
9. Soak in a warm bath as a way to relax your muscles.
10. Don’t eat a big, heavy meal before going to bed as this can also keep you awake.
11. Exercise in the afternoon – the healthier your body is, the better a person will sleep.
12. A glass of warm milk as proven to help a person fall asleep.

There are many helpful ways to fall asleep, and often, insomnia is just caused by poor sleep habits.  But if you have followed all these suggestions and are still having problems, consult with your family doctor.