Women and the Workday

Some days, women are highly productive and efficient in getting their work done without feeling fatigued and stressed. However, there are many days where even a typical workload feels impossible to get done.

The 9-5 work day can be too rigid of a structure for many women due to their complex and under researched biology, one of the factors being a woman’s biological rhythms. These rhythms are a series of bodily functions that are regulated by the brain’s internal clock, which sends signals throughout the day. This clock controls sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, hormone secretion, and many other factors which affect a woman’s ability to adhere to a rigid structure without the proper adjustments.

Types of Internal Rhythms

The three types of internal rhythms are circadian, infradian, and ultradian. Although circadian is the most well known, infradian and ultradian rhythms also play a significant role. Specifically, the menstrual cycle, which is an infradian rhythm that women have, interacts with circadian and ultradian rhythms that cause fluctuations in hormones, energy levels, and sleep throughout the month.

Women tend to have more variability in sleep-wake cycles, which is dependent on age and individual release of the sleep hormone melanin. The variability is due to chemicals called estrogen and progesterone, which change sleep quality and timing throughout the month. Additionally, women generally have less of a night owl tendency, which means that they typically wake up earlier than men, which can be beneficial for a set daily schedule.

During the premenstrual, or late-luteal phase, women report subjective complaints of disturbed sleep, which is shown by the circadian rhythm slightly shifting during the luteal phase due to hormonal changes, and thereby delaying bedtime. The increase in progesterone during this phase also reduces Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep, which results in women feeling less rested, experiencing daytime fatigue, lower concentration, and reduced emotional resilience. This increases stress reactivity and mood swings, further making this phase of the cycle more tough mentally and physically.

Nevertheless, women need more sleep and sleep deprivation has been shown to have greater effects on their lifestyle. In the long term, ignoring proper sleep hygiene and not adjusting to the body’s needs can result in chronic fatigue, mood disorders like anxiety or Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), reduced work performance, and a higher risk of burnout.

A Healthier and Productive Future

Today, insomnia occurs 1.5-2 times more frequently in women than in men. Disturbed sleep itself has been correlated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and especially depression, which occurs in a higher prevalence in women.

Like many other fields of research in women’s health, there is a limited number of studies that have addressed sleep-wake patterns in women, taking into account the sex differences in biological systems and rhythms. Women deserve an equal amount of research on their unique physiology and to be educated on how to take care of their health in order to have the opportunity to be independent like their male counterparts.

References

Contributors, W. E. (2021, June 28). What Are Biological Rhythms? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-are-biological-rhythms

Shechter, A., & Boivin, D. B. (2010). Sleep, Hormones, and Circadian Rhythms throughout the Menstrual Cycle in Healthy Women and Women with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2010(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/259345

Walton, J. C., Bumgarner, J. R., & Nelson, R. J. (2022). Sex Differences in Circadian Rhythms. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology, a039107. https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a039107