Women Who Lack Sleep More Prone to...well...everything

Researchers have discovered what many women already knew--women who go without sleep are at a higher risk for complications from the lack of sleep than are men.

Blood samples taken from the volunteers were measured for levels of biomarkers associated with increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, including insulin and glucose levels, fibrinogen (a clotting factor) and two inflammatory proteins, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein.

Ah....inflammatory proteins. The Inflammation Theory strikes again!

In addition to a greater level of irritability and depression from sleep deprivation, more biological signs were evident in the women tested.

Women who reported higher degree of sleep disruption also had higher levels of all the biomarkers tested. For women, poor sleep was associated with higher levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, measures of inflammation that have been associated with increased risk of heart disease, and higher levels of insulin. The results were so dramatic that of those women considered poor sleepers, 33 per cent had C-reactive protein levels associated with high risk of heart disease, says Suarez.

This probably also plays into the reasoning (if it's ever acknowledged) of why women have far more chronic illnesses than their male counterparts. Unfortunately, sometimes it is a biological thing.

I guess it's just one more reason to hit the hay early tonight.