Sleep is a luxury that eludes many women, says Marla Ahlgrimm. The retired hormone specialist explains that women’s bodies require an average of 20 minutes of additional slumber compared to their male bedmates. But they aren’t getting it and that’s a problem.
According to Marla Ahlgrimm, women lose sleep for many reasons throughout each stage of their lives. During pregnancy, hormones (and a growing midsection) can lead to insomnia. In the first few years after giving birth, women sleep lighter than before, ostensibly as a biological response to having offspring to care for. Hormones make their presence known at night again during menopause. This time, it’s hot flashes that unveil the unrest.
Marla Ahlgrimm has co-authored two ground-breaking books,