Another reason behind women’s lack of sleep is because they are more likely to experience stress, anxiety and depression in comparison to men. It has been found that women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression as men. Factors such as biology and life circumstances are what feed into women having a higher risk of depression. The difference in depression rates stems all the way back to puberty, where there is a first indication that women are more likely to have it than men, and the gender gap continues from there.
The previously mentioned hormonal imbalance that women can sometimes experience during pregnancy or menopause also leads to an increased risk of depression. Additionally, SAD Syndrome, or seasonal depression that arises when the skies are dark and gloomy, is four times more likely to affect women as opposed to men.
The stress of today’s fast paced society is also impacting women more than men in terms of anxiety. This is because many women are still expected to maintain the housewife duties of cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the kids while also juggling a full-time job. One study took a look at women across thirty different countries and found that depression doubles in middle-aged women due to these pressures.
