Beyond physical disturbances, societal expectations and gender roles play a profound, yet often invisible, part in the quality of a woman's sleep. Research has shown that women are still predominantly the primary caregivers, which can create a state of hyper-vigilance even during sleep. This "invisible burden" means women are more likely to be the one to wake up for a crying baby, a sick child, or an elderly relative. This subconscious awareness—a form of evolutionary "sentinel" sleep—makes their sleep architecture inherently more prone to waking up. Even in the absence of children, women are more likely to lie awake worrying about the next day's to-do list, which contributes to higher rates of insomnia and poor perceived sleep quality compared to men.
