Why Women Need More Sleep Than Men

We have always suspected it, but now it is official: women need more sleep than men. The reason is also astounding.

Do you sometimes quarrel with your lover because you think you never get enough sleep? Then you now have a new argument on your side: you basically need more sleep than him!

It’s about 20 minutes

British scientists found that women should sleep on average 20 minutes longer than men. This is because they use their brains more intensively during the day and therefore need to rest longer.

“One of the main functions of sleep is to allow the brain to recover and repair itself,” study leader and sleep expert Jim Horne, Emeritus Director of the renowned Loughborough Sleep Research Centre (LSRC) in the UK, told the Daily Mail.

The amount of sleep time required depends on how complex and intense the brain’s activities are during the day. “The more you use your brain, the more sleep you need. In deep sleep, the cerebral cortex – the part of the brain responsible for memory and speech, among other things – detaches itself from the senses and goes into recovery mode,” Horne continued.

Since female brains are more complex and women tend to multitask – making them more simultaneous and mentally flexible – they put more strain on their brains than men. As a result, their need for sleep is greater.

Men in complex jobs also need more sleep

Nevertheless, men who have complex jobs in which they have to make decisions and think laterally would also need more sleep than the average man. But still no more than women, according to Horne.

The study also concluded that lack of sleep has unpleasant consequences for women that do not occur in men: Some would experience higher levels of stress, hostility, anger and depression.

So even out of self-interest, the loved one would do well to let you sleep in again.