Sleep as a Means of Recovery and Restitution in Women: The Relation with Psychosocial Stress and Health

Sleep complaints are common in today’s society, with 20–30 % of the population experiencing sleep problems on several nights a week. Women are about 1.5 times more likely than men to report insomnia-related sleep problems, although this gender disparity is not reflected in studies using objective sleep parameters. Psychosocial stressors such as work conditions and work-family conflicts, which may have different relevance for men and women, contribute together with other factors to the occurrence of sleeping difficulties. Importantly, sleep problems are not only a cause of personal suffering per se, but are also closely linked to ill health. Insomnia-like sleep complaints, very short ( 8–9 h), as well as sleep disorders, in particular sleep apnea (which is albeit a male predominance also a serious health problem in women), have been associated to e.g., hypertension and coronary heart events, and ultimately mortality. Apart from the direct link between sleep and health, sleep may also play a role in mediating the effect of stress on health. Given the high prevalence of sleep problems, and the adverse effects of inadequate sleep on health, the diagnosis and effective treatment of sleep problems and disorders should be a key component in health prevention. This may also include targeting preceding and co-occurring psychosocial stressors.