Researchers at Duke University Medical Center report that women who don't sleep well are vulnerable to worse health problems than men having the same problems with sleep. Sleep-deprived women are more prone to depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, unwanted weight gain and type 2 diabetes.
Women who don't sleep well may have higher insulin and blood sugar levels than men which can lead to type 2 diabetes. Sleep-deprived women are more likely to put on weight, with a much greater unwanted weight gain than men. Women who don't sleep well can wind up with poor memory and cognitive (thinking) problems, and may also deal with more anger, hostility and depression.
The team of researchers was led by Edward Suarez, PhD, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. " 'The differences are so remarkable,' Suarez says. 'Most studies have said that poor sleep is bad for overall health, but few studies have looked at these gender differences.' Why are sleep-deprived women at higher risk? Hormones are the likely culprits, but it isn't clear how they work to protect men or leave women more vulnerable."
http://women.webmd.com/features/how-sleep-loss-affects-women-more-than-men?ecd=wnl_wmh_053110