Decoding Women’s Sleep: The Brain, Hormones, and Health Impact

Are you like Erin, who needs at least eight solid hours of sleep to function? Or are you like Gillian, who secretly wishes humans didn’t have to sleep at all? In this episode of The Savvy Patient, hosts Dr. Gillian Goddard and Erin Stein take a deep dive into one of our body's most crucial daily functions: sleep. We talk all things rest, snooze, and sleep routines—and how two best friends can have totally opposite sleep habits. We discuss the science of what happens in our brains when we turn off the lights, from circadian rhythms and natural sleep preferences to the sneaky ways hormones disrupt women’s rest. Plus, we dive into the dark side of sleep deprivation, its impact on long-term health, and what’s really going on with insomnia and sleep apnea, and the simple sleep hygiene habits that can help you wake up feeling rested.