Do YOU struggle to nod off? Why your body clock could be to blame: Women’s natural sleep rhythms run 2 HOURS ahead of men’s

September 13, 2016

Scientists found men and women’s circadian clocks are set differently
It means women are often fighting their natural body clocks to stay awake
This can make it a struggle to sleep and can lead to waking up exhausted

Ross Parker For The Daily Mail

Published:
02:42 EST, 13 September 2016

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Updated:
02:52 EST, 13 September 2016

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Wives lying awake at night and staring at the ceiling while their husbands contently snore away in bed next to them is not exactly a new phenomenon.

But scientists now believe that they have discovered the reason why men seem to find it much easier to sleep than their female partners.

After carrying out extensive research, experts have discovered that women’s circadian clocks run two hours ahead of their male counterparts.

Women’s natural body clocks are set differently to men and can make them more exhausted but unable to sleep by the time they go to bed

Because the man of the relationship may play a key role in deciding what time to head to bed, the male partner will often find it easier to fall asleep, researchers suggest.

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The consequences for women who are fighting their natural body clock is that they feel exhausted by the time they get into bed and more awake in the morning.

The study, which was carried out by Canadian researchers, involved observing a group of 25 men and women for 72 hours and monitoring their sleeping patterns.

Women who are fighting their natural body clock can be more susceptible to insomnia

The circadian cycle, who controls our sleep-wake pattern, is what allows us to feel tired at night and awake in the morning and is also responsible for the feeling of jet lag.

The research, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was designed to explain why women may be more susceptible to insomnia than their male partners.

They found that women were about 50 per cent more likely to struggle sleeping, the Times reported.

Those who took part in the study were taken into a laboratory where they were alternately kept awake for an hour before being offered the chance to go to sleep.

Their response to alertness levels were monitored to gain an insight into their circadian rhythm, as well as temperature and the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Women were found to have a circadian rhythm of between 1.7 and 2.3 hours ahead of the men.