Better-educated women sleep better

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A survey reveals that although women do not sleep as well as men, they are less likely to suffer insomnia if they are well-educated.

People vary greatly in their ability to get a good night's sleep. Scientists in Taiwan, researching social trends, have been looking at some of the factors that might affect insomnia. They looked at the sleeping habits of nearly 40,000 people aged 15 or more.

Overall, insomnia was more common among the elderly, divorced or separated, those of low educational status, poor health or low income. Women were more likely to have insomnia than men, unless they were better educated in which case their sleep quality was better. Surprisingly, perhaps, well-educated men were less likely to sleep well. The researchers are not sure why these social factors affect the ability to sleep well - maybe well-educated women have a better overall quality of life.

Source:
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health May 2005 Volume 59 pages 488-494