22 Mar Why can’t you sleep?

Besides noise, weather and an unsettled baby; what else can affect your sleep?

Well, according to Professor of Psychology and Sleep Psychologist, Dorothy Bruck; where you live, your ethnicity, your education and your income can all contribute to your quality of sleep. This is connected to the well-known link between a person’s social environment and their risk of ill health.

“Socio-economic status is a big determinant of health in general and sleep is no exception that,” says Dr Bruck. “People in lower socio-economic areas do have a higher rate of a whole range of diseases and disorders. And poor sleep would be so susceptible to clusters of health conditions that it is pretty understandable that it is a part of it.”

Sleep Physician, David Hillman also attributes gender as a social determinant. He says men are more likely to experience issues such as sleep apnoea and snoring, but women are more likely to experience disrupted sleep and insomnia – one reason being that women are more prone to experiencing depression, which can interfere with quality of sleep.

To read more about other factors that could be affecting your sleep, check out the Australian Sleep Health Foundation fact sheet.

Note: This article provides general health information and in no way constitutes medical advice. Ideas and information expressed may not be suitable for everyone. Readers wishing to obtain medical advice should contact their own doctor.

Image by Tim Bish