Women need better Zs

All of us, men and women alike, need sleep. But one of us needs it more. Any guesses?

Women.

Doctors are discovering that poor sleep habits make women more vulnerable than men to heart disease and diabetes. Controlling for age, race, and smoking and menstrual status, researchers found there's no changing the the fact that women -- all women -- are at risk for these illnesses when their sleep patterns are disrupted.

Duke University's Dr. Edward Suarez says testosterone may be one factor in this gender discrepancy. Testosterone, while it may actually trigger sleep problems, reduces levels of heart-damaging inflammatory proteins. He suggests women pay close attention to the time they spent in bed. No use waiting 20, 30, or 40 years for more research on this matter, says Dr. Phyllis Zee, director of the sleep-disorders center at Northwestern University.

"Just as we teach patients to eat well and exercise for their health, we should be telling them to sleep well," says Zee.