Why Are Women So Much More Exhausted Than Men?

Getting a good night’s sleep and waking up rested might just be one of the best feelings in the world. But—bummer alert—women may be less likely than men to regularly experience that refreshed feeling. New information released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that women aged 18 to 44 are almost twice as likely as men in the same age group to frequently feel very tired or exhausted.

In survey data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010 and 2011, 15.7 percent of women below the age of 45 said they felt “very tired” or “exhausted” on “most days” or “every day”—compared to just 8.7 percent of men. That means dudes are almost twice as likely to be well rested.

That data doesn’t surprise sleep expert Lisa Shives, MD, who says women are up to twice as likely to report having insomnia. Shives posits that, since many women now work outside of the home and take on a big portion of chores and family duties, it makes sense that women would say they feel wiped out.

But just because it’s super common for women to feel tired doesn’t mean you should ignore it. If you don’t get enough sleep, you increase your risk of health issues like depression, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, weight gain, and more, says Shives, who is the founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Ill., and the medical expert for SleepBetter.org.

“People treat sleep like it’s a recreational activity, like they can cut back on it,” says Shives. “Sleep is not negotiable.” Read more about why it’s so important to get your ZZZs—and how you can clock more:

Easy Ways to Get More Sleep

Find Out How to Sleep Better

Get More Sleep: 10 Sleep Myths Busted

Sleep Much? The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Body and Mind

Yoga for Bedtime

15 Tricks to Sleep Better

Do THIS, Sleep Better Tonight

Sleep Before You’re Dead

Sleep Solutions: Finding the Right Pillow

Need Sleep? Products to Help You Get More Sleep

How Your Diet Affects Your Sleep

9 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight

photo: Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
How to Sleep with a Man (and Actually Sleep)
The Secret to Better Sleep
Comfortable Sleep for Two

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