It’s International Women’s Day in this month. On this day we celebrate women’s achievements, resilience, and contribution to families and society. Yet there is one essential human need that remains widely overlooked in discussions about gender equality: SLEEP.
For many women, especially mothers, sleep deprivation is not just an occasional struggle, it’s a chronic, systemic issue with real effects on health, career opportunities, and quality of life.
What does the evidence tell us about the gender sleep gap?
The data clearly show that women are more likely than men to suffer from insufficient sleep. According to sleep research, adult women are more likely than men to experience disrupted sleep:
- Nearly half of women aged 25–44 get less than the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night, compared to fewer men in the same group. Women also report waking every night more often than men (Sleep Foundation).
- Women in this group typically get about 30 minutes less sleep per night than their male counterparts (Sleep Foundation).
- Women are significantly more likely to wake up during the night to care for others. Twice as often as men in similar circumstances (Sleep Foundation).
Another large study found that working mothers with young children are 2.5 times more likely than working fathers to interrupt their sleep to care for family at night, with these interruptions lasting longer for women (news.umich.edu).
So why is this still the case in 2026 when a large proportion of families have two working parents?
Sleep inequality is rooted in caregiving roles even in households where both parents work, women are still more likely to take on night-time caregiving roles. A study of families with children aged 0–5 found that mothers provided night care exclusively in about 60% of cases, compared to only about 9% where fathers did (PubMed).
Sadly, this pattern persists even when both parents are employed full-time (PubMed). Sleep researchers increasingly recognise that social expectations and caregiving norms, rather than any biological ability to cope with less sleep, account for much of this inequality (Sleep Foundation).
Why is it so important that we address this as a societal issue?
1) Sleep is not a luxury
Sleep is essential for health, cognition, mood regulation, and overall functioning. Poor sleep is linked with:
- Higher risk for anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease, particularly observed more acutely in women with disrupted sleep (WebMD).
- Greater daytime fatigue and difficulty concentrating, which can impact performance at work and daily life (whi.loophealth.com).
- A cycle where stress and responsibility worsen sleep, and poor sleep amplifies stress (whi.loophealth.com).
This means that sleep deprivation isn’t just about tired women, it is about reduced quality of life, health risk, and reduced capacity to thrive.
2) Sleep deprivation undermines women’s empowerment
- It contributes significantly to stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.
- It affects women’s ability to perform at work, sustain attention, and pursue career goals.
- It reinforces traditional caregiving roles by making night-time caregiving appear “normal” and expected.
When societal narratives discourage evidence-based sleep support, including strategies like sleep training, the data clearly shows the burden falls on women. Without offering realistic alternatives or shared responsibilities, such rhetoric can unintentionally perpetuate sleep loss, stress, and burnout in women.
Supporting women’s sleep means:
- Encouraging shared caregiving responsibilities
- Normalising access to evidence-informed sleep support
- Recognising chronic sleep deprivation as a factor in women’s health and career outcomes
- Creating environments where women can rest without stigma
A well-rested woman is healthier, happier, and better equipped to care for her family and herself. This International Women’s Day, it’s time to acknowledge that sleep deprivation is a public health issue and a gender equity issue. Empowering women means valuing their sleep just as much as men’s.
Please reach out if you need support.