What Happens When Women Don’t Sleep Enough?

This week, as the US heads into Thanksgiving weekend, many of us joke about turkey-induced naps, but consider this: new research shows that the same amino acid in turkey, tryptophan, may play a bigger role in longevity than we thought. It’s a good reminder that rest isn’t indulgent. It’s foundational. With the way sleep impacts every one of our systems, I’m taking it as a nudge to embrace a weekend of rest, keeping in mind that sometimes rest can mean more than just the sleep we get at night.

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What if there were a supplement you could take that would lower your blood sugar and blood pressure, while increasing your brain function? Say this magic medicine caused you to eat roughly 350 calories less in a day and lowered your risk of neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease? How many of us would line up for access?

The good news is, if you can consistently sleep at least 7 hours a night, you don’t need the magic pill.

Research shows that getting the recommended amount of sleep regularly provides a range of benefits, including lowering blood pressure and improving cognitive function. And because women’s sleep is so closely tied to hormonal shifts, stress cycles, and cardiovascular health, new studies are showing that women actually pay a steeper price for short or irregular sleep—everything from higher blood pressure to noticeable dips in memory and focus.

While most of us recognize that we could use more sleep, changing our habits can be hard. “Small habits, like dimming lights an hour before bed, setting a tech curfew, or even just changing into your PJs to signal the transition to sleep, can make a big difference,” says Nishi Bhopal, MD, sleep physician and founder of Pacific Integrative Psychiatry.

Bhopal adds, “And don’t stress if every night isn’t perfect.” Instead, look for patterns over time.

Like anything in life, moderation is important for sleep. While many of us get too little sleep, getting too much can also be a health hazard. A large-scale study published in Springer Nature found that adults who slept fewer than 7 hours a night had a 14% higher risk of death, while those sleeping more than 9 hours faced a 34% higher risk, compared with people who got 7–8 hours of sleep.

Sleep is meant to recharge and regenerate, so our cognitive, physical, and mental abilities are all in top form to power us through our days. And, as Jill MacRae says, “sleep is the only human performance factor you can’t fake, cheat, steal, or replace.”

Amid endless health claims, we’ve put together a 2-day event exploring the science of aging well and the truth behind trendy treatments. Join 75 thought leaders (including Jane Fonda!) and 2,000 women (including me!) for the transformative Livelong Women’s Health Summit in San Francisco on April 17-18, 2026.

In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, Livelong is offering Black Friday pricing for the Summit. Take $100 off each ticket option until Saturday, November 29 at midnight PT.

Planning to attend? Hit reply and let me know! But, first…

The sleepmaxxing trend is popping up across longevity circles, but is optimizing every metric actually benefiting our health?

Sleepmaxxing goes beyond traditional sleep hygiene, which focuses on the areas surrounding sleep —such as the environment, routine, and habits —and aims to improve them. We know from research that a few things reliably help sleep:

What doesn’t help? Tracking every data point.

Over-analyzing your sleep metrics can increase anxiety and even lead to orthosomnia, a sleep disorder caused by trying too hard to get that perfect night of sleep.

The most effective sleep strategies are ones that you can fit into your everyday life without adding stress. Instead of focusing on “maxxing,” try these:

Think of sleep like strength training — consistency builds long-term gains.