Impact of Sex on Sleep Disorders Across the Lifespan

Sleep throughout a woman's life impacts her quality of life and medical comorbidities. The prevalence of sleep symptoms and disorders varies throughout a woman's life in association with the reproductive milestones of pregnancy and menopause. Studies have failed to identify a clear sex predominance of sleep disorders in childhood and adolescence. Sleep disturbances in pregnancy are common and may be associated with increased risk for adverse maternal outcomes. Menopause is associated with sleep disruption owing to increased rates of sleep-disordered breathing, development of insomnia owing to vasomotor symptoms and hormonal changes, circadian derangements, and changes in sleep architecture.