Are you feeling tired? Is your brain in a fog? If so, you may not be getting enough sleep.

Sleep is elusive for many, especially for women. Women are much more at risk for insomnia—forty percent more, in fact.

Not to mention, women are more likely to have anxiety and depression, making you sleep too little or too much. Top that with all the stress a woman must face, and you’re left with many restless nights.

If you can’t fall asleep, this post will help you find out how much sleep you need and how to get a full night’s rest.

How Much Sleep Does a Woman Need?

Everyone is different, and sadly, we can’t give you an exact answer.

The ballpark range is 7-9 hours each night. Women may need more than 11 minutes than a man of sleep, but that isn’t an answer.

Some people can get feel refreshed with fewer than 7 hours, and others may need more than 9 hours.

Try calculating  how many hours of sleep you have on average, and if you are still feeling tired, then try to go for more.

Women’s Issues That Can Affect Sleep

There are many different issues that women may face that can affect how much sleep they get. These include:

Menstruation

As much as 33 percent of women may have trouble sleeping due to side effects from menstruation.

Pregnancy and Postpartum

When pregnant, some women may have restless leg syndrome. This condition can cause pins and needles in one’s legs, making it harder to fall asleep.

After the baby is born, the hormone changes can make it difficult to fall asleep. Not to mention, new parents have trouble sleeping due to taking care of the baby.

Menopause

Symptoms of menopause can lead to insomnia as well. Hot flashes, the changes in hormones, and a risk of sleep apnea are some examples of this happening.

So, as you can see, women have challenges sleeping throughout many stages of their lives.

Sleep Quality May Be Worse As Well

With sleep, it’s about not just quantity, but quality.

In order to get the most sleep, you need high-quality REM rest. REM, or rapid eye movement, is responsible for dreaming. Your body goes through REM several times because of the sleep cycles.

However, if your sleep is interrupted, you may be getting less REM sleep, affecting your sleep quality.

With how many responsibilities a woman has, this can affect the quality of sleep quite a bit.

Some women may try to replace the sleep lost by napping, but you may not reach REM sleep in a nap, and it can affect the quality of sleep when you do lay your head to rest.

How to Get More Sleep

Sleep is elusive, isn’t it? You close your eyes and hope sleep comes, but instead, you’re wide awake. The stresses of life, the cycles of your body, and other factors can make sleep hard to come by.

However, there is hope. Here are some ways you can get sleep.

Work Out

Working out is a double blessing. You can feel more energetic from a workout, and you’re more likely to fall asleep faster. The exact reason why exercise helps is unknown, but it does seem that those who work out sleep better.

You don’t need to have an intense workout to see results, either. Thirty minutes of light exercise a day may be the ticket.

With that said, avoid working out too close to your bedtime. This may keep you up at night.

Magnesium Supplements

If you are having trouble sleeping, you need to do something about it. Many people suffer from insomnia.

According to estimates, 68% of the world’s population does not get enough magnesium each day.

If you are among these percentages, an online magnesium deficiency test can help you determine if a magnesium supplement is necessary to help alleviate your sleeping difficulties.

Eat Right

Some foods can keep you awake. Too much sugar can wire you and make you crash during the day. Some chocolates contain caffeine, which can keep you up.

However, almonds, fatty fish, tart cherry juice, and chamomile tea may help you fall asleep faster. If you are unsure, try changing your diet and see if that gets you a better night’s sleep.

Don’t Take On Too Much

Sometimes, we can’t fall asleep because of too much stress. We accept too much work, take on too many chores, and have other responsibilities. All the tasks you have to handle tomorrow can affect your ability to fall asleep.

Learning to say “no” every once in a while may help you fall asleep faster.

Have a Good Sleep Environment

Keep your room in the 60 degree Fahrenheit range. Not only that, use your bed only for sleeping and other bed-related activities.

Finally, sleep in a dark place. Light can keep you up.

Don’t Wind Yourself Up

Avoid doing activities that can keep you awake before bed. Looking at social media, reading something exciting, drinking caffeine, or stressing out too much can lead to you being able to fall asleep. This especially applies to your phone. Plug it up an hour before bed and do something relaxing.

Take a hot bath. Meditate. Do something that doesn’t energize you.

Sleep Consistently

Having a good circadian rhythm can help you fall asleep. Go to bed and wake up around the same time. If you’re going to bed at odd times, it may cause your body to be unable to fall asleep. If you can, be consistent.

Don’t Stay Tossing in Bed if You Are Unable to Sleep

Finally, some insomniacs make the mistake of staying in bed if they can’t fall asleep. This will just make it harder, as your mind associates your bed with restlessness.

If you can’t fall asleep, get up and do something to make you feel sleepy. Then, try again. Repeat the process until you fall asleep.

Write

Some people find that writing before bed can help. Try to do it using a pen and paper if you must, as this can help you relax.

What should you write? Anything works, but one thing you can do is write down everything bothering you. This can help clear your mind.

Seek Help

Some women can’t just seem to fall asleep, even if they try everything. This may be the sign of a deeper problem.

To fall asleep again, you may need to try to some medication and therapy. Medication can help you fall asleep faster, while therapy can help tackle the root cause of your insomnia.

For more info on how you can get therapy from your home, please visit the link below:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychotherapy/what-is-cognitive-psychotherapy/

SHARE THIS POST