Summary: Study reveals women who experience difficulties sleeping are more likely to feel tired and depressed than men.

Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Results show that women are more likely to feel tired and depressed than men.

A new study suggests that men and women are affected differently by sleep disorders.

Results show that women are more likely than men to have more severe symptoms of depression, trouble sleeping at night, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Women also have a higher degree of difficulty concentrating and remembering things due to sleepiness or tiredness. In contrast, male snoring was more likely than female snoring to force bed partners to sleep in different rooms.

“We found that females were more likely to have sleeping disorders associated with daytime sleepiness,” said co-author Dr. John Malouf, founder of SleepGP sleep clinic in Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia. “Females were also likely to feel more affected by the burden of their symptoms.”

The main purpose of the study was to understand the differences in functional status between the sexes when they present to primary care providers with sleep problems.

“What was surprising about the results was that while men and women tended to present at a similar age, their symptoms and the effect on their lives differed markedly,” said lead author Allegra Boccabella, research associate at SleepGP clinic. “We didn’t expect there to be differences across the board in terms of the different aspects of people’s lives.”

Study results are published in the May 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Boccabella and Malouf conducted a retrospective clinical audit of 744 patients who received sleep-related health care from 7 private general practices in Australia between April 2013 and January 2015. Patients completed a variety of sleep-related questionnaires, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Snoring Severity Scale (SSS), and the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire 10.

According to the authors, understanding how the symptoms reported by women differ from those of men can help medical professionals manage sleep disorders more holistically.

“If we can identify the ways that their lives are affected, we can help produce better outcomes for the patient,” said Boccabella.

About this neuroscience research article

Source: Corinne Lederhouse – American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

Original Research: Abstract for “How Do Sleep-Related Health Problems Affect Functional Status According to Sex?” by Allegra Boccabella, MPH; and John Malouf, MBBS in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Published online May 22 2017 doi:10.5664/jcsm.6584

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[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]American Academy of Sleep Medicine “Sleep Disorders Affect Men and Women Differently.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 22 May 2017.

<https://neurosciencenews.com/ai-music-songs-6743/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2017, May 22). Sleep Disorders Affect Men and Women Differently. NeuroscienceNew. Retrieved May 22, 2017 from https://neurosciencenews.com/ai-music-songs-6743/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]American Academy of Sleep Medicine “Sleep Disorders Affect Men and Women Differently.” https://neurosciencenews.com/ai-music-songs-6743/ (accessed May 22, 2017).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]

Abstract

How Do Sleep-Related Health Problems Affect Functional Status According to Sex?

Study Objectives

To measure differences in functional status between men and women presenting with sleep-related health problems.

Methods

A retrospective clinical audit of 744 Australian patients across 7 private general practices between April 2013 and January 2015 was conducted. Patients completed an electronic survey as part of their routine consultation, which included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire 10 (FOSQ-10), and other questions relating to the effect of their sleep problem. The proportion of males and females with ESS and FOSQ-10 scores associated with disorders of daytime sleepiness and burden of symptoms due to sleepiness, respectively, were compared, as well as reported differences between the sexes in memory, concentration, issues with relationships, feeling depressed, and trouble sleeping.

Results

On presentation, females were more likely to have sleeping disorders associated with daytime sleepiness (median ESS score of 9 for females versus 8 for males, P = .038; proportion ESS > 9 was 49.0% for females versus 36.9% for males, P = .003). Women were also more likely to report an increased burden of symptoms due to sleepiness compared to men, as shown by lower FOSQ-10 scores (P < .001). Secondary outcome measures showed that females were more likely to feel excessively tired and depressed, have difficulties with memory and concentration, and have trouble sleeping at night. Snoring kept partners awake in roughly the same proportion of males and females, and a larger proportion of the partners of males were forced out of the room.

Conclusions

Sleep-related health issues both manifest in and affect the lives of males and females differently. Sleep health professionals should recognize these differences on all levels of disease prevention and health promotion from patient education, to diagnosis and management to improve quality of life for those with sleep-related health problems.

“How Do Sleep-Related Health Problems Affect Functional Status According to Sex?” by Allegra Boccabella, MPH; and John Malouf, MBBS in Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Published online May 22 2017 doi:10.5664/jcsm.6584

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