Study: Women Need More Sleep Than Men

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Women need more sleep, because they use more of their brains? Science says it's true.

Researchers at Loughborough University's Sleep Research Center in England say women need more sleep than men.

Professor Jim Horne says "Women's brains are wired differently….so their sleep need will be slightly greater."  Why you might ask?  Professor Horne says like it or not guys, "Women tend to multi-task, they do lots at once and are flexible, and so they use more of their actual brain than men do."

The women of Pittsburgh respond with a resounding, "Duh, who didn't know that?"

In fact, Sarah Eates of Shaler says, "We do more things during the day and therefore we do need a better rest period to regenerate for the next day."

Ryan Brennan of Munhall says there is no doubt about it that women use more of their brains: "100 percent true. I can't verify the sleep but definitely use more of their brains."

The study covered just over 200 sleepers and found women need about 20 additional minutes a night.  The optimum amount of sleep for everyone, six hours minimum.

And Professor Horne says there is a direct impact of a lack of sleep. "For women, poor sleep is strongly associated with high levels of psychological distress and greater feelings of hostility, depression, and anger.  In contrast, these feelings were not associated with the same degree of sleep disruption in men."

The men of Pittsburgh were treading softly on this one.  DeMichael Clarke agrees there is a short fuse correlation with the lack of a woman's sleep, "But their crankiness is a little more quiet, they might close the cabinets a little louder and not speak to you but I'd say overall yes."

Mt. Lebanon's Kate McKenzie says the amount of sleep she gets has a direct impact on her mood, "I would say I'm in a much better mood and more productive which leads me to be nicer if I have some more sleep."  Jasmine Jackson of Wilkinsburg agrees, "I think we got a lot of hormones going on,  I think we got a lot more hormones than men."

But perhaps the best response on the "hostility" issue came from Danielle Hudson of Shadyside who said, "I would hope that's not true I would hope I'm not that way when I'm deprived of sleep."  She then turned and looked at her companion Ryan Brennan who said, "I'm not even going to touch that one! No chance."   Clearly Ryan's brain is functioning on all synapses.

Sleep well ladies, we're counting on you.

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