Talking Sleep

Decoding Women's Sleep Health Across the Lifespan

Apr 4, 2025
Dr. Safia Khan, a women's sleep expert and editor for "A Clinical Casebook of Sleep Disorders in Women," shares fascinating insights into the unique sleep challenges women face throughout their lives. She discusses how pregnancy and menopause disrupt sleep patterns differently in women compared to men. Dr. Khan emphasizes the underdiagnosis of sleep disorders and the importance of tailored assessments and treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy and the management of conditions like sleep apnea and PCOS. She also explores the critical role of iron deficiency screening in adolescent girls.
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INSIGHT

Women’s Unique Sleep Symptoms

  • Women often report fatigue and noisy breathing rather than snoring in sleep-disordered breathing assessments.
  • Hormonal changes significantly affect sleep patterns, especially in menopausal women.
INSIGHT

Insomnia’s Subjective Gender Gap

  • Women subjectively experience more insomnia symptoms despite better objective sleep quality.
  • Comorbidities like anxiety and depression influence medication choices in insomnia treatment.
ADVICE

Tailored Insomnia Treatment

  • Counsel patients on behavioral interventions even if they resist formal CBTI.
  • Tailor insomnia medications considering patient’s age and pregnancy safety.
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