Revealed: It’s Not Stress – Why Women Are Exhausted All The Time

(KMDL-FM) Countless thousands of women visit healthcare professionals every year to seek assistance for a medical malady whose most prominent symptom is exhaustion. Countless thousands of those women have been told that the reason they are so tired is stress. It might not be; in fact, a new study shows that a prominent sleep disorder, usually diagnosed in men, affects almost half of all women.

a close up of a person laying on a bed

What Causes Women To Feel So Tired All The Time?

Results of a study have shown that sleep apnea, a common disorder readily diagnosed in older overweight men, could be affecting as much as 41% of the female population. The issue here isn't the disorder; it's the fact that many women are being misdiagnosed and being told the reason they "feel so tired" is because of stress.

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There is no denying that stress is a factor in how all of us sleep. But sleep apnea may play a much larger role in why so many women are "beyond tired all the time." The journal Respiratory Medicine suggested that most women don't fit "the profile of a sleep apnea patient."  As a result, many healthcare screenings don't even consider sleep apnea an issue.

Doctor writing notes while patient sits opposite

The lack of quality rest seems to be an even bigger factor for women, as far as healthcare is concerned. Females seem to be hardwired to wake up more easily than their male counterparts. Therefore, a sleep apnea incident that a man might choke his way through and remain asleep will likely cause a woman to become fully awake.

Besides Exhaustion What Other Symptoms Might Women Notice from Sleep Apnea?

This lack of quality sleep manifests itself in other symptoms besides exhaustion, especially in women. Susan Redline of Brigham and Women’s Hospital explains in a Sleep Review article that the interrupted sleep and lack of quality rest often result in more frequent headaches and more instances of acid reflux.

Another factor that often causes medical professionals not to seek out a sleep apnea diagnosis in women is hormonal changes. That's an area of healthcare that medical professionals do pay a lot of attention to because the symptoms, the changes, the emotional and physical roller coaster are real. But it might not be the reason you're so tired all the time.

woman in black tank top reading book

I am not a trained medical professional, and we are not offering medical advice. We are simply mentioning something to you that maybe you could or should mention to your care team, especially if you feel that you've "tried everything else".

How Is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed and Treated in Women?

Sleep apnea can be diagnosed with a simple test; they might ask you to wear a monitor while you sleep. If it's discovered that sleep apnea is an issue for you, the good news is that it's easily treatable as well.

And if you ask someone who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea and is now taking steps and using the proper medical equipment to alleviate the problem how they feel, they will likely tell you, "rested."

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Speaking of rested, we do have a long weekend in our future. If you're looking for a stress-free quick getaway for you and your family, or maybe just a getaway for you and your girls, we have some suggestions.