Scientific facts can always get you off-guard; for instance, women need more sleep than men because they use more of their brains.

Say That Again!

Women, according to Jim Horne, a sleep neuroscientist and the director of the Sleep Research Center at Loughborough, use their brains more because they multitask and do strenuous activities.

In his book on the subject, he wrote, "The more of your brain you use during the day, the more of it that needs to recover and, consequently, the more sleep you need… One of the major functions of sleep is to allow the brain to recover and repair itself."

Because women have a tendency to multitask and are more mentally agile, they use more of their actual brains than men. That is why they also need more time sleeping because their brains need more time to recover.

But Generally, Women Are Also Wired Differently

Their brains are more complex, which also adds to their need for more sleep.

But there are exceptions. For instance, a man who does a complex job involving lots of decisions would also need more sleep than the average man. However, he might not need as much sleep as a regular woman.

Therefore, these recommendations on sleep requirements are based on average values. Some women might need less sleep if they don't do tasks that strain their brains so much.

But, Just How Much More Sleep Do Women Need?

What do the experts mean when they say women need more sleep? It's important to know. It could be hours, or minutes.

According to Horne, more sleep means about 20 minutes more.

However, there will be women who need more than 20 minutes of extra sleep than the average man. Others might require less than 20 minutes more sleep than their male colleagues.

And also, individual sleep habits and requirements have to be taken into account.

However, the recommended sleep durations based on age offer a pretty good guide on how much sleep we should get. But on average, adults should get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep.

Women And Insomnia

Women are more likely to have sleep issues due to hormonal changes, their menstrual cycles, menopause, pregnancies, and so forth.

Therefore, they generally have a harder time getting quality or adequate sleep.

However, sleep is very important, and it is linked to better performance during the day. Inadequate sleep is linked to problems like depression, anxiety, anger, and even hostility, and not just among women, but also men.

Nevertheless, Horne noted that these issues did not correspond to a similar degree of sleep disruption in men. That is to say, inadequate sleep had a greater impact on women than it did on men.

What Can You Do?

It is important to ensure that your female partner gets enough sleep. In fact, you can go a step further and tell them to improve their sleep quality in the following ways.

- Practicing meditation, which relaxes the mind and promotes better sleep.

- Yoga can also help, as it helps the body relax and therefore slip into a sleeping state more easily.

- Melatonin can also help, as it reduces the time required before someone falls asleep.

Finally, having a steady bed routine can also help. If you go to bed at the right time regularly, the brain can relax more easily.