How Women Can Put A Stop To Sleepless Nights

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Do you struggle to get to sleep, no matter how tired you are? Or wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep? Those are complaints for busy working women.

As CBS 2's Mary Kay Kleist reports, simple changes to your lifestyle can put a stop to sleepless nights.

Tracy Eraci is constantly on the go; a full-time mother and wife and part-time pharmacist.

She knows all too well what it feels like to toss and turn all night and then drag through the next day exhausted.

"Sometimes I may fall asleep for the 15 minutes that I'm sitting in the school parking lot, waiting for the kids to get out of school," Eraci said.

She's not alone. Experts say insomnia is two to three times more common in women than men, which raises the risk for heart disease and obesity.

Dr. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep expert at the University of Chicago, said, "We may over eat, even despite our best efforts. Our blood pressure may be higher and we may have difficulties metabolizing sugar, glucose normally – which may present an increased risk of diabetes."

Women are biologically programmed to fall asleep earlier than men, but often can't.

"Sometimes it's as late as midnight, depending on what projects I'm working on," Eraci said.

The two hours right after you fall asleep and the two hours before you wake up are the most critical to the quality of sleep you'll get. During that time, unfamiliar noises like storms, or in Tracy's case, her husband's snoring – even the light from the alarm clock next to your bed – can be disruptive.

Another obvious reason women lose sleep is because they have babies. A newborn can cause parents to lose one to two hours of sleep every night. Over a year's time, that adds up to one entire month of lost sleep.

New mothers can make up for that lost sleep by napping when the baby sleeps. Other things women can do, is work out during the day. If you can't, definitely don't work out within two hours of bedtime.

"It will prepare your brain for more activity rather than for sleep," Van Cauter said.

One hour before bed, you should start winding down. A glass of wine can help. Then, turn off the TV and stay off the computer.

Eraci said she occasionally takes medication to help her fall asleep, but more often, she reads before turning out the light.

"I read something soothing or maybe that's not really that interesting, if i just need to get drowsy and fall asleep," Eraci said.

If you're going through menopause, hormone therapy might help you get a better night's sleep.

Turn down the thermostat. 60 to 68 degrees is ideal.

Try to listen to your body clock. Go to bed earlier, and let your significant other finish the late-night chores.