If you asked them, most moms, no matter what age, would probably say they need more sleep. While that may be true, physically, some really do need more sleep.
Moms in their 40s, (unless they are just embarking on motherhood), don't typically have to wake up for crying babies anymore. Most have tweens and teens who are somewhat self-sufficient. Yet, according to CNN women going through midlife aren't getting enough sleep.
How Much Sleep Is Enough
Sleep experts from the National Sleep Foundation suggest that mid-life-aged women should receive seven to nine hours per night regularly. It can prevent the increased risk for chronic conditions and other adverse health outcomes.
How Does Sleep Change As Moms Age
For moms in their 40s sleep is challenging. However, with all that's happening during this stage of life, it's not surprising. Most moms in this age category are in the middle of their parenting journey while doing their best to work a full-time job and keep up with the housework, etc.
Also, many moms in their 40s have to take care of their aging parents as well. Then there is the stress of paying for college, and if they will ever be able to afford to retire, it's a series of chronic stress and chronic worry. This all adds to the sleep struggle.
Internally, hormones that support sleep are declining. Lydia Wytrzes, M.D., a sleep medicine physician with the Sutter Medical Foundation, says about half of women going through menopause report sleep difficulties. For most women, menopause happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but hormonal changes called perimenopause can begin years earlier and start sleep problems.
Perimenopause & Menopause
Women are often shocked to learn that being in their 40s qualifies them as being in perimenopause. There is no magic age for perimenopause or menopause; it's an age range of 30-60.
For these women, those big changes in their bodies bring significant challenges to sleep. The CDC reports more than half of perimenopausal women (56 percent) sleep less than seven hours a night, on average. Of that 56 percent, roughly 25 percent say the main issue is falling asleep at night.
Even more common than trouble falling asleep? Difficulty staying asleep. Around 31 percent of premenopausal women say they have trouble staying asleep, and half of perimenopausal women wake in the morning feeling tired.
Why Moms In Their 40s Need More Sleep
The simple answer to this is health benefits. Aging is inevitable and something all women eventually have to accept. With aging can come a decline in health, or more so, a decline in how bodies function. All moms are affected differently by age, but there are some main benefits of sleep that can affect them all, according to Intermountain Healthcare.
- Sharp-Witted: When moms are running low on sleep, they may notice they are forgetful. That's because sleep plays a big part in memory. If moms aren't getting adequate sleep, they may struggle to take in new information and remember it because the brain doesn't have time to properly store memories that might need to be retrieved later.
- Heart Health: Did you know when you're sleeping your blood pressure goes down? Sleeping gives the heart and blood vessels a rest. The less sleep a mom gets, the longer her blood pressure stays up during a 24-hour cycle. High blood pressure can lead to heart disease and stroke.
- Steady blood sugar: During the slow-wave part of the sleep cycle, the amount of glucose in the blood drops. Not getting enough deep sleep in this part of the cycle doesn't give the body time to reset itself.
- Immune Support: A continuous lack of sleep will eventually change the way immune cells work. They may not attack as quickly, and moms could find themselves sick a lot more often.
- Weight Management: Moms should know that if they are struggling with weight gain, it may be due to a lack of sleep. Not getting an adequate amount of sleep at this stage of life makes a woman hungry. This is because it messes with the hormones in your brain, leptin, and ghrelin, that control appetite.
Sources: Intermountain Healthcare, CDC, Sutter Medical Foundation, National Sleep Foundation, CNN