The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has launched an initiative focused on promoting sleep health in women. A new task force is implementing a multi-phase effort to explore the unique factors that affect how women sleep and identify ways to improve sleep care for women.
“Sleep is foundational to health and well-being, and women experience unique challenges that affect their sleep at every life stage—from menstruation and pregnancy to menopause and aging,” says Suzie Bertisch, MD, MPH, chair of the Women’s Sleep Health Task Force, in a release. “This initiative reflects the AASM’s commitment to advancing sleep care for women through education, research, collaboration, and advocacy.”
Data show that about 30% of women fail to get sufficient sleep on a regular basis. Some sleep disorders, such as chronic insomnia and restless legs syndrome, are more common in women, and there can be differences in how women and men who have a sleep disorder describe their symptoms. Sleep problems in women also can be related to both cyclic alterations in the production of hormones and significant changes in hormone production that occur across the lifespan.
The women’s sleep health initiative will involve collaboration between the AASM and other professional associations, patient advocacy organizations, and industry supporters to generate awareness and conversation among health care professionals and patients. The task force is organizing a summit of key stakeholders, developing a webinar series, and exploring opportunities to present at relevant clinical and scientific meetings. Other tactics will include highlighting women’s sleep health issues on social media, discussing these issues on podcasts, and providing input on AASM Foundation research grant applications focused on women’s sleep health.
“By bringing attention to women’s sleep health, we are taking a critical step toward improving sleep care and health outcomes for millions of women,” Bertisch says. “Our goal is to drive greater awareness, foster research innovation, and ensure that women’s unique needs are addressed in the practice of sleep medicine.”
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