Päivi Polo-Kantola1, Antti Laine2, Erkki Kronholm3, Maiju M Saarinen4, Päivi Rautava5, Minna Aromaa6, Matti Sillanpää4. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland; Sleep Research Unit, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. Electronic address: paivi.polo@tyks.fi. 2. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 3. Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku, Finland. 4. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Child Neurology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland. 5. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Turku University Hospital, Clinical Research Centre, Turku, Finland. 6. Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Child and Adolescent Health Care Unit, Turku City Hospital, Turku, Finland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Sufficient sleep is essential for health and working capacity. Shorter sleep duration on workdays is often compensated by sleeping longer during leisure days. Gender dissimilarities in sleep quality are acknowledged. Our aim was to study the less known gender differences in sleep duration. METHODS: A population based study with a total of 1049 middle-aged regularly working women (n=524) and men (n=525). A questionnaire of sleep durations on workdays and leisure days, preferred sleep duration, with health-related quality of life and health behavior. RESULTS: Women slept 14min longer on workdays (p<0.002) and 27min longer on leisure days (p<0.002) and had 32min longer preferred sleep duration (p<0.001) than men. Compared to workdays, women slept 1h 57minutes longer and men 1h 42min longer on leisure days (gender p<0.001). On workdays, both women and men slept less than their preferred sleep duration and again, with more extensive difference in women (gender-interaction p<0.001). On leisure days the excessive sleep time did not differ between genders (p=0.346). None of the explanatory variables explained the gender differences in sleep durations. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep loss on workdays is presumably more pronounced in women, since despite their longer sleep on workdays, the gender differences persist in both sleep duration on leisure days and in preferred sleep duration.
OBJECTIVE: Sufficient sleep is essential for health and working capacity. Shorter sleep duration on workdays is often compensated by sleeping longer during leisure days. Gender dissimilarities in sleep quality are acknowledged. Our aim was to study the less known gender differences in sleep duration. METHODS: A population based study with a total of 1049 middle-aged regularly working women (n=524) and men (n=525). A questionnaire of sleep durations on workdays and leisure days, preferred sleep duration, with health-related quality of life and health behavior. RESULTS:Women slept 14min longer on workdays (p<0.002) and 27min longer on leisure days (p<0.002) and had 32min longer preferred sleep duration (p<0.001) than men. Compared to workdays, women slept 1h 57minutes longer and men1h 42min longer on leisure days (gender p<0.001). On workdays, both women and men slept less than their preferred sleep duration and again, with more extensive difference in women (gender-interaction p<0.001). On leisure days the excessive sleep time did not differ between genders (p=0.346). None of the explanatory variables explained the gender differences in sleep durations. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep loss on workdays is presumably more pronounced in women, since despite their longer sleep on workdays, the gender differences persist in both sleep duration on leisure days and in preferred sleep duration.