A study shows that women need more sleep than men, and that the consequences of not getting enough sleep can be extremely detrimental to overall health, Cosmopolitan reports.
Basically the study found that, as much as we try to prove we are equal to men in every way, women in particular are at a higher risk for developing health problems when they don’t get enough sleep. Meanwhile, the same lack of rest doesn’t affect men, because higher testosterone levels likely protect against these issues.
Some of the scary issues mentioned in the report include inflammation, high stress levels (not sure if more sleep will fix this or not), problems with blood sugar and potential for depression. Not sleeping enough can also make you hungrier, due to women’s higher estrogen and progesterone levels—Cosmopolitan reports that women who have trouble sleeping also have higher BMIs.
The CDC recommends that teens get nine to 10 hours of sleep per night, while adults should get seven to eight. We know you probably average about six on a good night, so don’t feel bad when you hit snooze tomorrow morning…you may be doing your body a life-altering favor.