Another Reason You're Not Getting Enough Sleep

Who knew that THIS could mess with your bedtime

Well, this is unfair: Your gender may affect how well you sleep, according to a new study published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

For the study, researchers from the U.K. surveyed 8,480 people about their sleep habits—like when they fell asleep, how long they slept for, and if they experienced any difficulties drifting off. The results? Women slept for 11 minutes less than men, on average. Female participants also reported having more trouble sleeping than their male counterparts.

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What gives? While this study didn't analyze why women reported poorer sleep quality, previous studies have shown that women generally have more trouble sleeping than men, says lead study author Yue Leng, a Ph.D. student in the department of public health and primary care at the University of Cambridge. One reason might be that women feel more pressure to balance work and family, and the stress could disrupt their sleep patterns, says Leng.  

But fear not—we've got loads of awesome tips and tricks to sleep better tonight (and every other night after that).

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