Many women struggle with getting a good night’s sleep. While sometimes, the causes of sleep problems are the same regardless of gender. In other cases, insomnia in women has its own unique causes.

Cause you to wake up too early or have trouble staying asleep throughout the night

Although anyone can suffer from insomnia, the condition is 

 in women.2 Additionally, women who experience insomnia are more likely to experience multiple insomnia symptoms, while men are more likely to report only one insomnia symptom.3

Why Are Women More Likely To Have Insomnia?

There are several factors that may make insomnia more common in women. Many of these causes are linked to hormones.

The menstrual cycle is one possible cause of insomnia in younger females. Women are most likely to report poor sleep during 

Your menstrual cycle is controlled by various sex hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. Levels of these hormones drop at the end of your cycle, just before your period, leading to symptoms like cramping, mood swings, and sleep problems.5

It’s not entirely clear how sex hormones affect sleep. Research shows that for some women, decreasing levels of estrogen and progesterone cause the body to make less melatonin, a sleep hormone.6

 experience sleeping difficulties while expecting.7 

 is usually worse during the third trimester.

There are several possible pregnancy-related health changes that could disrupt sleep, such as:7

Needing to wake up to frequently use the bathroom

Experiencing breathing problems, such as shortness of breath

During perimenopause, the body produces less estrogen and progesterone and periods become more irregular. Once your periods stop completely, you are said to be in menopause.8

During this time, you may experience many symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, that can make it hard to sleep. 

 in perimenopause or menopause have trouble sleeping.5 If you’re between the ages of 45 and 55 and are experiencing new sleep problems, peri/menopause could be the underlying cause.

Other Potential Causes of Insomnia in Females

Other causes of sleeping problems  may develop in people of all genders, but may be more common in women or affect women differently.

 of developing RLS, a condition that causes a strong urge to move the legs. Each pregnancy raises the risk of RLS, and women who have given birth three times have three times the risk of RLS compared with women who have never had children.9

 — Men are more likely to develop sleep apnea than are women. However, different genders tend to 

. Common symptoms of sleep apnea in men include snoring, snorting and gasping; women are more likely to experience tiredness and depression.9

 — Women are twice as likely as men to deal with mental health problems like anxiety and depression.10,11 These conditions are in turn strongly linked to insomnia.

— This condition leads to chronic pain and often affects sleep. Most people with fibromyalgia are women.9

Social issues can also play a role in sleep. For example, women are more likely to be responsible for taking care of a child or older relative, and caregiver roles can lead to stress and mental health struggles that translate to poor sleep. Additionally, women who do shift work are more likely to experience insomnia and other health problems.9

How to Recognize if You Are Suffering from Insomnia as a Woman

The following questions can help you understand whether you might be suffering from insomnia1:

Do you find yourself struggling to fall asleep?

Do you feel like you spend most of the night awake?

Do you find it difficult to focus during the day?

Do you feel tired, but find yourself unable to nap?

Keeping a sleep diary can help you track when your sleep is good and when it’s less than optimal. Note when you lay down, how long it takes to fall asleep, your wake-up time, and how rested you feel.

 can help women get a better night’s sleep. This strategy is effective and safe for women who are pregnant or dealing with other health concerns. To improve your sleep hygiene, try:7

Napping earlier in the day, rather than later

Avoiding spicy or high-fat foods to prevent heartburn

Sleeping on your side with a heating pad on your back to reduce back pain

Addressing underlying causes of insomnia may also help. For example, using medication to control period cramps may lead to a better night’s sleep. Additionally, women going through perimenopause may be able to use treatments like hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Some studies have shown that these treatments could help improve sleep for menopausal women.5

Another safe and effective strategy to treat insomnia is 

cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)

, a type of talk therapy that helps people change their thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to insomnia. Early research shows that CBT-I could be useful for treating insomnia caused by periods, pregnancy, or menopause.5

To learn more about Dawn’s evidence-based CBT-I program that can help improve your relationship with sleep, fill out our 

Zhang, B., & Wing, Y. K. (2006). Sex differences in insomnia: a meta-analysis. 

(1), 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/29.1.85

Jaussent, I., Dauvilliers, Y., Ancelin, M. L., Dartigues, J. F., Tavernier, B., Touchon, J., Ritchie, K., & Besset, A. (2011). Insomnia symptoms in older adults: associated factors and gender differences. 

The American journal of geriatric psychiatry: official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 19

(1), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181e049b6

Office on Women’s Health. (2018, November 21). 

https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/insomnia

Nowakowski, S., Meers, J., & Heimbach, E. (2013). Sleep and Women's Health. 

(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.17241/smr.2013.4.1.1

Jehan, S., Auguste, E., Hussain, M., Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Brzezinski, A., Gupta, R., Attarian, H., Jean-Louis, G., & McFarlane, S. I. (2016). Sleep and Premenstrual Syndrome. 

Journal of sleep medicine and disorders, 3

Hashmi, A. M., Bhatia, S. K., Bhatia, S. K., & Khawaja, I. S. (2016). Insomnia during pregnancy: Diagnosis and Rational Interventions. 

(4), 1030–1037. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.324.10421

National Institute on Aging. (2021, September 30). 

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause

Mallampalli, M. P., & Carter, C. L. (2014). Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: a Society for Women's Health Research Report. 

(7), 553–562. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2014.4816

Office on Women’s Health. (2019, January 30). 

https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/anxiety-disorders

Office on Women’s Health. (2019, May 14). 

https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-conditions/depression

Ever wondered whether insomnia is more common in females or males? There are several factors that cause insomnia specifically in females, due to hormones.

Causes of Insomnia in Females 

The foundation to a good night’s sleep is built during your waking hours. To optimize your rest, work in some new habits to your mornings, afternoons, and evenings that can help you be primed for sleep when night time arrives.

Why Healthy Sleep Habits for Adults Are Important

If you’re regularly suffering from too little sleep, one or two quick fixes probably won’t be enough to turn things around. Instead, developing a regular routine that guides the predictable rhythm of your days and nights may help your body and brain know when it’s time to get some shut-eye.

Scientific research shows that the habits that form our days make a difference at night. For example, one study found that young adults got to sleep faster and spent more time asleep when they went outside, started work, and ate meals 

How to Develop Better Sleep Habits During the Day

For a better night’s sleep, it can help to practice good 

 — a set of practices and behaviors that promote quality rest. Sleep hygiene can include both daytime and nighttime habits.2

— Avoid sleeping during the day, and you may feel sleepier in the evenings. If you really need a pick-me-up, keep it short: a 20- or 30-minute nap can be enough to boost your energy. Try to keep any napping to the early parts of the day.

— Workouts are great to help make you feel more tired later on. It’s okay if you’re not able to hit the gym! Taking a walk or getting chores done around the house can also count as physical activity.

 — Setting aside time for stress-busting activities, such as organizing your tasks for the day, taking more breaks from work, journaling, meditating, and exercising, may help calm anxious thoughts that keep you awake at night.

Getting more light during your waking hours

 — To wake yourself up more during the day, spend some time outside in the sunlight. If you’re stuck inside, try using brighter light bulbs, adding another lamp or two to your environment, or sitting in front of a light therapy box. It is most helpful to get light within the first hour after you wake in the morning.

Not eating or drinking too much soon before bedtime 

— A heavy meal sitting in your stomach may keep you awake as your body works to digest it.

— Try to wake up at the same time each day. Try not to stray too far from your schedule on weekends!

 — Wind down before bed to signal to your brain that it’s time to start sleeping. You may want to try taking a warm bath or shower, turning the lights down, reading, or listening to relaxing music.

What Are the Benefits of Healthy Sleep Habits for Adults?

 — your body’s internal clock. Your circadian rhythm uses cues like physical activity, light, and eating patterns to control different processes in your body.4

When your eyes detect light or your digestive system starts breaking down a meal, your brain receives signals that tell it the body is awake. The brain then activates certain genes, sends out hormones (chemical messengers) that wake up the body, and controls the actions of various tissues and organs. Once it becomes dark and your body becomes less active, your brain reverses these processes, causing sleepiness.4

Performing certain tasks at the same time each day may help reinforce your circadian rhythm and set yourself up for good quality sleep. For example, studies show that getting bright light during the day causes people to sleep more at night and spend more time in deeper stages of sleep.5

, making you less likely to experience conditions like anxiety, depression, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.6

Dawn can help you build a schedule for better sleeping with CBT-I

Are you struggling with building a daytime routine that can help improve sleep habits? Fill out this 

 to get specific advice about sleep habits tailored to your own needs and work one-on-one with a sleep coach.

Dautovich, N. D., Shoji, K. D., & McCrae, C. S. (2015). Variety is the Spice of Life: A Microlongitudinal Study Examining Age Differences in Intraindividual Variability in Daily Activities in Relation to Sleep Outcomes.

 The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences

, 70(4), 581–590. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbt120

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016, July 15). 

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-2/85-93.htm

Campbell, S. S., Dawson, D., & Anderson, M. W. (1993). Alleviation of sleep maintenance insomnia with timed exposure to bright light. 

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

, 41(8), 829–836. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1993.tb06179.x

https://medlineplus.gov/healthysleep.html

The foundation to a good night’s sleep is built during your waking hours. Understand what you could be doing during the day to develop healthy sleep habits.

Daytime Habits for a Good Night’s Sleep

The Intimate Relationship Between Exercise and Sleep

Quality sleep and optimal workouts are interdependent — you can’t have one without the other. People who are struggling with good sleep can get more physical activity as a way to improve their shut-eye. Likewise, those who are looking to improve their fitness levels can boost recovery by getting a good night’s rest. Consistent healthy sleep patterns will help your body to recover, conserve energy, repair the muscles used during exercise, and support the production of growth hormones.

Your sleep is controlled, in part, by your body’s internal clock, called your 

. This cycle senses and responds to external cues such as light, diet, and even exercise. Your circadian rhythm uses these cues to maintain a predictable pattern of wake time and sleep time.

A structure in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) uses this information from your environment to send out signals to the rest of your body, controlling different processes such as hormone levels, metabolism, and feelings of sleepiness.1 When you are more active, get lots of exposure to bright light early on, and eat during the day (rather than right before bed), you are confirming to your biological clock that it is daytime. This sets up the capacity for your body to more easily recognize that it is time to sleep once nighttime comes around.

Exercise has been shown to boost levels of adenosine, a brain chemical that increases your sleep drive — your need for sleep.

 When you first wake up, adenosine levels in your brain are low. The longer you are awake, the more your adenosine levels rise and the sleepier you get.

 Exercise can help strengthen this process by encouraging your cells to make more adenosine, reinforcing your innate biological urge for sleep later on.

Researchers have conducted dozens of studies that link physical activity and sleep.

 These studies have found that a consistent exercise program can:

Make it easier for you to fall asleep faster

Help you sleep for longer lengths of time without interruption

Increase the amount of time you spend in deeper stages of sleep

Reduce your time spent lying in bed awake

Studies have reported improvements in sleep with both aerobic exercise, such as jogging or swimming, and resistance training, such as bodyweight exercises or lifting weights. Additionally, multiple studies have found that people may get the most sleep benefits when they exercise in the mornings.4

Why is Sleep Important for Improving Exercise?

People with poor sleep tend to be less active than those who regularly experience healthy sleep. For example, athletes tend to 

 than those who don’t get much physical activity.

Sleep does several important things for people who are trying to increase their overall level of fitness. Quality sleep can:

. Sleep is a time for your body to rest and repair its tissues, including resting the heart, which helps you feel your best the next day.6 People who don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis are 1.7 times more likely to become injured.

. Not getting enough sleep can hinder your muscle strength, deplete your fuel stores, make you slower, decrease your endurance, and cause you to fatigue more quickly. Some studies have even studied specific competitions and found that the athletes who got the best sleep were likely to place the highest!

. Your circadian rhythm helps control your metabolism. Poor sleep decreases your glucose tolerance — your fat cells can’t use sugar for fuel as effectively as they should.

 In the long term, this can increase your risk of obesity and diabetes.

Ensure your body has enough growth hormone

. A chronic lack of sleep reduces the amount of growth hormone that your body makes.

 This molecule is what helps muscles grow bigger and stronger.

Many studies show why sleep is important for fitness and athletic performance. Aim for at least 7-8 hours for optimal results!

Improving sleep in the long run with CBT-I

You may be able to improve your sleep with some 

, such as avoiding caffeine in the afternoons and evenings, steering clear of alcohol, finishing meals several hours before bedtime, and keeping your bedroom cool and dark.

In some cases, these tips aren’t enough to reverse your sleeping troubles, and some personalized guidance may be needed. To learn more about how to improve your specific situation and to work with a sleep coach, fill out this simple 

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Overview of Circadian Rhythms. 

Dworak, M., Diel, P., Voss, S., Hollmann, W., & Strüder, H. K. (2007). Intense exercise increases adenosine concentrations in rat brain: implications for a homeostatic sleep drive. Neuroscience, 150(4), 789–795. 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.09.062

Bjorness, T. E., & Greene, R. W. (2009). Adenosine and sleep. Current neuropharmacology, 7(3), 238–245. 

https://doi.org/10.2174/157015909789152182

Dolezal, B. A., Neufeld, E. V., Boland, D. M., Martin, J. L., & Cooper, C. B. (2017). Interrelationship between Sleep and Exercise: A Systematic Review. Advances in preventive medicine, 2017, 1364387. 

Watson A. M. (2017). Sleep and Athletic Performance. Current sports medicine reports, 16(6), 413–418. 

https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000418

MedlinePlus. (2021, October 18). Healthy Sleep. 

Huang, K., & Ihm, J. (2021). Sleep and Injury Risk. Current sports medicine reports, 20(6), 286–290. 

https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000849

Broussard, J. L., Ehrmann, D. A., Van Cauter, E., Tasali, E., & Brady, M. J. (2012). Impaired insulin signaling in human adipocytes after experimental sleep restriction: a randomized, crossover study. Annals of internal medicine, 157(8), 549–557. 

https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-157-8-201210160-00005

Sharma, S., & Kavuru, M. (2010). Sleep and metabolism: an overview. International journal of endocrinology, 2010, 270832. 

The relationship between exercise and sleep is more complex than you may think. Learn all about why working out helps you sleep better, and vice versa.

Exercise and Sleep: How Exercise Improves Sleep | Dawn Health

How Does Good Sleep Improve Exercise? 

At any given time, a delicate balance between two opposing systems governs our body and mind. The sympathetic system is the body’s threat detection system that prepares your body to respond to any threat, while the parasympathetic system calms the body and mind and induces a state of relaxation.

When the balance tilts in favor of the sympathetic system, hyperarousal ensues.

Read on to learn what hyperarousal is, its symptoms and causes, how it affects your sleep, and what you can do about it.

Hyperarousal is a state in which you are more alert or vigilant. Usually, hyperarousal is caused by the brain detecting a threat and entering fight-or-flight mode. The cause can be a real external threat or an internal fear or anxiety.

The level of hyperarousal one may experience varies greatly, along with the level of distress and dysfunction it causes. One of the most extreme examples is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For most, hyperarousal manifests itself as a subtle sense of unease that you might not even be aware of, but can still disrupt your sleep.

Hyperarousal can manifest itself through a variety of symptoms, 

Why Is It Hard To Fall Asleep in a State of Hyperarousal?

Sleep requires the body and mind to relax. It is predominantly a parasympathetic activity. But, in a hyperaroused state, the sympathetic system 

 the parasympathetic one and prevents your body from falling asleep. This makes evolutionary sense because sleeping when there is an imminent threat significantly lowers your chances of survival, and when in a hyperaroused state, your brain is convinced there is an imminent threat. This leads to 

Hyperarousal insomnia is a psychological condition. It is a mental state that triggers the body to react to thoughts and emotions as though they are threats that need to be addressed and keeps your body at high alert.

Being constantly on high alert can cause rapid, anxious thoughts to occur at night as well as less restorative sleep throughout your sleep cycle. Further, inadequate sleep can then lead to more stress, turning it into a self-propagating cycle.

If stress is keeping you up at night, you are not alone. According to the National Sleep Foundation Survey, 

 have trouble sleeping due to stress every month. Even though you may have been struggling to sleep, you do not have to. Practical, simple treatments for hyperarousal insomnia exist.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for hyperarousal insomnia (CBT-I) directly addresses our thoughts and behaviors. It is a type of 

 that focuses on the idea that how we think, our habits, and our emotions are all linked and influence one another. We can ease mental suffering by challenging our inaccurate thoughts about threats, challenging our habits, and accepting our feelings. CBT-I allows us to do that and more.

Learn more about CBT-I Treatment for Hyperarousal Insomnia

To get more information about hyperarousal insomnia and use 

Don't Let Hyperarousal Keep You From Sleep

What is hyperarousal, what are the symptoms of hyperarousal insomnia, and how do you treat it? Learn about hyperarousal insomnia and CBT-I treatment. 

Learn Symptoms & Treatment of Hyperarousal Insomnia

Hyperarousal and how it can cause insomnia

When it comes to getting a good night’s rest, it’s not enough to focus on quantity — it’s also important to consider your sleep quality. The best restorative rest is a complex dance of different sleep stages that shift and expand throughout the night.

Your body moves through four sleep stages each night. As you leave one stage and enter the next, you experience changes in brain activity as well as body processes like breathing and heart rate.

One sleep cycle occurs when you progress through all of the sleep stages. This cycle can range from 70 to 90 minutes. Each night, you complete about four to six sleep cycles, which on average takes about 8 hours.

The conversation around sleep cycles is complicated by the fact that the numbering of stages has changed in the past few years. Two of the NREM stages (Stages 3 and 4) were combined into one stage and thus, the numbering is different depending on when the information was published. Suffice it to say that there are currently three stages in NREM sleep and one stage in REM sleep. NREM sleep dominates the first half of the night and REM dominates the second half of the night.

The first three sleep stages are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Your sleep progresses from light to deep sleep and then back up again. You sleep the most deeply during the last stages of NREM sleep (Stage 3).

When you fall asleep, your brain slips into the first stage of sleep, which lasts just a few minutes. During this stage, your breaths and heartbeat start to slow. Your muscles become more relaxed, but they may wake you if they suddenly jerk or twitch.

As your body further relaxes and slows, you enter stage 2 of the sleep cycle. Your brain activity diminishes, but occasionally has quick spurts of activity called sleep spindles, which help refresh your brain and process new memories.

Stage 3 sleep is deep sleep that provides quality rest for your mind and body. During this time, your heart rate and breathing become very slow, and your body heals. It becomes more difficult for external disturbances to awaken you when you are in stage 3 sleep.

These stages are followed by rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is the sleep stage during which you have dreams.

 REM sleep stages build on themselves and get longer each cycle.

The brain becomes very active during the REM sleep stage. Most of your muscles are completely relaxed, but your eye muscles rapidly contract, making your eyes move in multiple directions. Your brain also becomes much more active, leading to vivid dreams.

Altogether, the different stages of sleep lead to many important effects within the mind and body, including: 

Releasing hormones necessary for growth and fertility

When you don’t get enough sleep, it can take a big toll. A lack of sleep can affect your mental health, making it harder to think or focus, putting you in a worse mood, and leading to bigger problems like anxiety or depression. People who don’t sleep enough also have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea often involve disturbances to the normal sleep cycle. In people with sleep apnea, breathing problems kick in during deep sleep stages, disrupting the stage and making a person fall back into the lighter stages of sleep, where breathing is easier.

 Apnea is a medical condition that is different from insomnia so consult your doctor if you think you have apnea.

Improve Sleep by Focusing on Sleep Cycle Length

Being able to sufficiently move through each of the stages will help you feel better rested. For example, if you are consistently woken during deep stage 3 sleep, you will notice the effects on the way your body feels rested and your mind feels focused.

Practice good sleep hygiene to help reduce unexpected awakenings in the middle of a key sleep stage. Sleep hygiene includes any behaviors and habits that help you promote healthy sleep patterns. Good sleep hygiene can involve:

Ensuring your sleeping area is as comfortable, quiet, and dark as possible

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day

Getting in consistent physical activity during the day

Eating any large meals earlier in the day, several hours before you go to bed

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine, especially in the evenings

Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Today!

When a good night’s sleep is difficult, treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can help. CBT-I is a form of talking therapy that addresses the root cause of your sleep problems by helping you understand and change your attitude towards sleep. Scientific research has found this treatment to be effective and safe — unlike sleep medications, CBT-I can better address long-term sleep problems and doesn’t lead to addiction or uncomfortable side effects.

Interested in learning more about CBT-I? Get started with a 

 to help us better understand where you’re at on your journey to better sleep.

Patel, A. K., Reddy, V., & Araujo, J. F. (2021). Physiology, Sleep Stages. In 

Curious about what a sleep cycle is, and the various stages of sleep cycles? Here's everything to know about sleep cycles, including why they're important.