Sleep Architecture Across Female Lifespan

Quality sleep is considered as biomarker for overall health that varies according to age and gender. Due to sex and gender differences, women sleep differently than men. From childhood to menopause, each stage of a woman’s life raises the risk of sleep disturbance in different ways that may necessitate different management. Women show longer sleep latency increased slow wave sleep and less NREM stage 1 sleep as compared to men. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affect majority of women, especially during the late menstrual cycle and luteal phase, and cause poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and a variety of other symptoms such as insomnia, unpleasant dreams, and exhaustion. Changes in sleep architecture have also been associated with factors such as race, ethnicity, and shift work. This chapter reviews sleep changes across the female life span alongside the effect of race, ethnicity, and occupation on sleep architecture.