Lifestyle Choices

There are some fascinating differences in the sleep habits of men and women.

• Women sleep four minutes less than men on workdays and fourteen minutes less on days off.’ Women sleep forty to fifty minutes less than men if they cater to the needs of a baby or toddler.
• Scientists have discovered that there are differences in the circadian rhythms of males and females. The fraction of sleep is larger in women. The temperature rhythms are identical in males and females; the sleep-wake rhythms are significantly shorter in females.” “Women have shorter periods of deep (non-REM) sleep than men, making them more vulnerable to ‘tossing and turning’ bed partners and fitful babies.”

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Do you ever collapse after hearing a funny joke, or after becoming very angry? Do you have any relatives who are always sleepy? If you answer yes to these questions, you might have narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations (explained below). Narcolepsy is thought to be an attack of REM sleep during the day.

A person with narcolepsy will have recurring episodes of naps, or lapses into sleep. The narcoleptic will sleep for fifteen to twenty minutes and awaken refreshed, but within the next two to three hours will begin to feel sleepy again. This pattern repeats itself throughout the day. Sudden sleep attacks can occur in situations when it is quite inappropriate to sleep, such as while eating, conversing or driving.” (more…)

Is your sleep unrefreshing? Periodic limb movement disorder is “characterized by periodic episodes of repetitive and highly stereotyped limb movements that occur during sleep. The movements typically occur in the patient’s legs, and consist of an extension of the big toe in combination with partial flexion of the ankle, knee and sometimes hips.”‘ This often results in partial arousals from sleep. However, as with sleep apnoea, the person remains unaware of the many nocturnal disruptions and does not know why he or she is so tired during the day. The limb movements often disrupt the sleep of the bed partner. (more…)