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Insomnia and women: exploring vulnerability, impact, and intervention
Hae Ri Kim1, Soo In Kim2, Weon-Jeong Lim3
1Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Women experience insomnia more than men due to biological, psychophysiological, and sociocultural factors. Gender-specific treatments addressing these unique vulnerabilities are crucial for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Science
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Insomnia prevalence is higher in women compared to men.
- Understanding sex and gender differences in insomnia is critical for effective treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the biological, psychophysiological, and sociocultural factors contributing to higher insomnia rates in women.
- To inform the development of gender-specific insomnia treatments.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus (2000-2024).
- Synthesis of findings across biological, psychophysiological, and sociocultural domains.
- Focus on implications for sex- and gender-informed treatments.
Main Results:
- Women's insomnia vulnerability is multifactorial, influenced by hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause) and higher genetic heritability.
- Neuroimaging reveals distinct neural correlates: emotion regulation in women, sensory processing in men.
- Psychophysiologically, women show greater cognitive-emotional arousal and stress reactivity; socioculturally, work-family conflict is a key stressor.
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments can be tailored based on sex-specific mechanisms like orexin-mediated hyperarousal and GABAergic signaling.
Conclusions:
- Insomnia in women is best understood as a diathesis-stress condition.
- Mechanism-based, gender-informed interventions are essential for optimizing insomnia treatment outcomes in women.
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