Doctor reveals why women need more sleep than men

Sleep is a biological necessity, yet many of us treat it as an optional extra. Dr Kunal Sood, a specialist in interventional pain medicine, recently shared five eye-opening facts on Instagram to help us better understand our nightly rest.

From the dangers of staying awake too long to the truth about dreams, his insights suggest that quality rest is more complex than we think.

Falling asleep too fast

If you hit the pillow and lose consciousness instantly, it might not be a superpower. Dr Sood explains: “It should take 10 to 20 minutes on average to fall asleep. This is just an average. If you fall asleep too quickly, you may be sleep deprived and if it takes too long, you may have insomnia.”

The gender sleep gap

Women typically need more shut-eye. The physician notes: "Women require 20 more minutes of sleep than men. There is research which concluded Women may require slightly more sleep, the reason may be due to ‘multi-tasking’."

The mystery of dreams

Ever wonder why your dreams vanish? Dr Sood notes: “We forget 95 percent of our dreams after waking up. Dreams do not get stored into our memory, if you want to remember write them down as soon as you wake up.”

Sleep deprivation vs alcohol

Staying awake too long has a sobering effect on your brain. Dr Sood warns: “Being awake for 17 hours straight is similar to having a blood alcohol level of .05 percent.”

Rethinking melatonin

When using supplements, Dr Sood emphasises: “With melatonin, less is more; 0.5 mg can be more effective than higher doses.”

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.