Research

Mixed

Female gender is an independent risk factor for poor sleep quality in young adults, with a prevalence of 65.1% compared to 49.8% in males, a disparity that persists after adjusting for depression, socio-demographics, and lifestyle factors.

If you are a young woman struggling with sleep, know that your risk is statistically higher than men's, even if your lifestyle and mental health are good. This isn't just 'in your head' or due to stress. While you should still optimize sleep hygiene and manage stress, recognizing a potential biological predisposition can help in seeking more targeted or specialized interventions if standard lifestyle changes aren't enough.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Reports from 3,778 young adults (20.6±0.86 years) indicate a higher prevalence of poor sleep quality in females than males (65.1% vs. 49.8%). It seems that gender difference in poor sleep is independent of depression, socio-demographics, and lifestyle factors, since the higher odds of poor sleep quality in females was robust to adjust for depression, socio-demographics, and lifestyle factors (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.23-1.90).
Yaqoot Fatima et al. · Clinical Medicine & Research · 2016

Why this rating

Large population study (n=3,778) with robust statistical adjustment, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.

Source

Exploring Gender Difference in Sleep Quality of Young Adults: Findings from a Large Population Study

Yaqoot Fatima et al. · Clinical Medicine & Research · 2016

DOI 10.3121/cmr.2016.1338

cross_sectional · n=3778Cited 239×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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