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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Although they seem shorter, sweet dreams may last longer for women than men. New research shows while elderly women report a worse night's sleep than men, women actually sleep longer and better than their spouses.
In a recent study, women reported a shorter total sleep time, longer sleep onset latency and lower sleep efficiency. Researchers objectively measured the sleep of 956 patients between the ages of 59 and 69 through a wristwatch worn for six consecutive nights which measures sleep parameters. Contrary to reports in sleep diaries, women slept 16 minutes longer than men, had a 1.2 percent higher sleep efficiency, and had less fragmented sleep.
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Researchers partially explain the gender inequalities through outside factors, noting the differences are not due to women complaining more. Women were 9 percent more likely to use sleep medication than men, which leads to a shorter subjective sleep time. Men doubled the alcohol consumption of women, slightly affecting the objective total sleep time. Men also overestimated their total sleep time while women underestimated theirs, causing researchers to believe that women require more sleep time than men to satisfy their needs.
SOURCE: Sleep, October 1, 2009
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