For women, but not men, having children in the home affects
how much sleep they get, and the more children, the more their sleep is
affected.
Gathering information on what contributes to insufficient
sleep could help target approaches to achieve optimum sleep, which in turn can
improve overall health, said researcher Kelly Sullivan, PhD, Department of
Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of
Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro…
Their findings were released February 26 and will be
presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2017 Annual
Meeting.
The researchers used data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System, an annual nationwide telephone survey conducted by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
Included in the survey are questions about sleep, including
how many hours of sleep respondents get per day. Researchers categorized this
as an optimum amount of sleep, defined by the National Sleep Foundation as 7 to
9 hours per day, or insufficient sleep, less than 6 hours per day…
In the entire study, 23% of men reported less than 7 hours
of sleep per day and 77% reported 7 or more hours of sleep a day. Among women,
21% reported less than 7 hours and 79%, 7 or more hours of sleep.
In men, longer sleep was associated with higher education (P
= .0002) and snoring (P = .02). Among women, having children was inversely
associated with sleep duration (P = .002), while being unemployed (P = .009)
and having a higher household income (P = .03) were associated with longer
duration…
In younger women, 48% of those with children reported
getting optimal sleep compared with 62% of those without children…
Looking at factors associated with sleep among those younger
participants, researchers found that men with less than a high school education
were more likely to report insufficient sleep compared with college graduates
(odds ratio [OR], 10.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87 - 53.42)…
In younger women, the only variable associated with
insufficient sleep was having children. Each child increased the odds by nearly
50% (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.14 - 1.87).
Dr Sullivan said she wasn't expecting children to come up as
the only factor associated with insufficient sleep in younger women or that
there would be "no association at all for men."
"I actually was surprised because I was thinking along
the lines that some of the other typical things, like employment or income or
exercise, would be a main factor" in these younger women.
It's unclear what exactly is causing the disparity, said Dr
Sullivan. "As amazing as the data set and survey are, we don't have any
insight into family dynamics. That's a major limitation in trying to figure out
the meaning or reasons behind the findings."
Research shows that a woman's brain is different than a
man's brain, as are her sleep cycles, said Dr Sullivan. And there are
biological differences in women to consider, such as hormonal changes in
pregnancy, menopause, and throughout the menstrual cycle, and the demands of
breast feeding, she said.
Dr Sullivan noted that other studies have shown that women
need more sleep than men to feel adequately rested.
In this study, having children in the home was associated
with feeling unrested among younger women (P = .001) Those with children
reported feeling unrested 14 days in a month compared with 11 days for those
without children. Again, this was not true for younger men (P = .10)…
Asked to comment on the research, Dr Dexter [Donn Dexter,
MD, vice chief medical officer, Northwest Wisconsin Region, Mayo Clinic Health
System, Eau Claire; assistant professor, neurology, Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine; and fellow of the AAN] noted that because the information came from
a phone survey, there may not be enough data collected to "support any
strong theory" as to why younger women with children in the home are
falling behind in their sleep.
He reflected on his own experience of having three young
children at home. "Even though I tried to be a responsible dad, I think
most of child-rearing chores, and certainly getting up at night for a kid who
was sick or crying or teething, fell to my wife." He estimated that when
it came to child-related duties, the split between him and his wife was
probably "close to 70-30(%)."
He stressed that he hasn't done "exhaustive
research" on the topic but has the impression that despite the sexes being
more equal in many respects, "chores at home and household duties still
fall disproportionately to women."
American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 2017 Annual Meeting.
Abstract 716. To be presented April 25, 2017.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/878558
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