MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New
research backs up what many women already know: They're sleep
deprived. Unlike men, a good night's sleep for women is affected by
having children in the house, according to a preliminary study
released today that will be presented at the American Academy of
Neurology's 69th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 22 to 28,
2017.
"I think these findings may bolster those women who say they
feel exhausted," said study author Kelly
Sullivan, PhD, of Georgia Southern
University in Statesboro,
Ga., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our
study found not only are they not sleeping long enough, they also
report feeling tired throughout the day."
For the study, researchers examined data from a nationwide
telephone survey of 5,805 people. Participants were asked how long
they slept, with seven to nine hours per day considered optimum and
less than six hours considered insufficient. They were also asked
how many days they felt tired in the past month.
Researchers looked at age, race, education, marital status,
number of children in the household, income, body mass index,
exercise, employment and snoring as possible factors linked to
sleep deprivation.
Among the 2,908 women aged 45 years and younger in the study,
researchers found the only factor associated with getting enough
sleep was having children in the house, with each child increasing
the odds of insufficient sleep by nearly 50 percent.
For women under 45, 48 percent of women with children reported
getting at least seven hours of sleep, compared to 62 percent of
women without children.
No other factors—including exercise, marital status and
education—were linked to how long younger women slept.
The study found that not only was living with children
associated with how long younger women slept, but also how often
they felt tired. Younger women with children reported feeling tired
14 days per month, on average, compared to 11 days for younger
women without children in the household.
Having children in the house was not linked to how long men
slept.
"Getting enough sleep is a key component of overall health and
can impact the heart, mind and weight," said Sullivan, "It's
important to learn what is keeping people from getting the rest
they need so we can help them work toward better health."
Learn more about sleep at www.aan.com/patients.
The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest
association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with
32,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest
quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor
with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing
disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's
disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion,
Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology,
visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+,
LinkedIn and YouTube.
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SOURCE American Academy of Neurology