Study finds most women over 40 wake at 3.30am nightly

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 15:20 · Archive

Nine in ten women aged 40 and over regularly wake during the night, with 3.30am the most common time.

A study commissioned by Simba Sleep found that 84% of women aged 40 and over regularly wake during the night. The research involved over a thousand women and found that 78% woke between 1am and 4am, with 3.30am the most common waking time.

The findings were discussed on the BBC's Morning Live this week by Dr Oscar Duke, who cautioned that the research came from a mattress company and urged care about sources. He confirmed that nine in ten women in the study woke at least once before 7am.

Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott, a specialist in women's health, told HuffPost UK that insomnia is 'a very common presentation at this life stage'. She attributed waking to hormonal changes during perimenopause, when progesterone levels decline. Progesterone is the body's natural calming hormone and affects GABA receptors in the brain that promote restful sleep. Dr Aziz-Scott also noted that midlife stresses, including juggling childcare responsibilities and caring for ageing parents, can contribute to sleep disruption.

How it is being reported

• There's A Reason Women Keep Waking Up At 3am In Midlife, GP SaysGetting enough sleep is linked to a lower dementia risk , better emotional regulation, improved immune health, and a reduced likelihood of chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. But even if your mind is willing, sometimes the body simply doesn’t want to play ball. About a third of adults in Western countries report sleeping poorly at least once a week, though only an estimated 30% of those with insomnia seek medical help. And per Harvard Health , women in midlife might be especially susceptible to “sleep maintenance insomnia”, or waking up in the middle of the night and not…HuffPost UK · 16 Oct, 15:00
• BBC Dr Oscar explains reason so many women keep waking up at 3.30amA new study has found that the vast majority of female participants woke up at night around 3.30amThe Mirror · 15 Oct, 12:22

In this story: BBC · Simba Sleep · Dr Oscar Duke · Dr Ghazala Aziz-Scott · Rick Edwards · HuffPost UK

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