Saturday, March 15, 2008

"I realize now it was definitely the lack of sleep that was having a huge impact on my life."

As with all other health issues, it is heartening to see that it's not only apparent that "Sleep research has exploded in recent years as a result of busy lifestyles that have cut into sleep time." as noted in this article in the Globe and Mail, but that any differences between the sexes in this regard are also being explored. Women are harder hit than men when it comes to the impact of problems sleeping and the resulting health problems. It notes:

Researchers from the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., compared sleep patterns in a group of men and women and found that women who slept poorly had significantly higher levels of biomarkers that are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Women who slept poorly were also much more likely to experience hostility, distress, depression and anger, according to the study.

The article does not go on to explain what might be the cause of this finding.

The title quote for this posting was also taken from the same article and I could not have said it better myself. Hopefully as sleep issues are being reported on by the press and other sources, those who have problems with sleep will be made aware they are not alone, and their options to try and address the problem; especially women.