When it comes to sleep, all men (and women) are not created equal

Researchers have found that, when it comes to sleep health, men and women are not created equal.

Studies show that sleep disorders do affect men and women differently. While men tend to suffer more from sleep apnea, women are more likely to report spending their nights tossing and turning.

Although researchers can't say for sure why women apparently have more trouble sleeping than men, they have noticed certain patterns. Particularly, women seem to have the most trouble falling asleep when hormone levels change - during pregnancy, early motherhood, menopause, and at certain times during the menstrual cycle.

Researchers know that the hormone progesterone causes sleepiness, and they also know that a woman's progesterone level rises during mid-month ovulation, and then drops dramatically at the onset of a menstrual period. This drop also is the time when many women report having sleep problems.

Learn more about the connection between sleep health and women's health, including ways pregnancy and menopause affect sleep.

In Defense of Mondays

You can't avoid it. You know it's coming - just like it has a thousand times before and will a thousand more.

But do Mondays get a bum rap?

We all know how it feels: You're sluggish. You're irritable. You can't focus...

Wait, don't we know those symptoms from somewhere else?

What if  "the Mondays" aren't a condition, but a symptom themselves?

Here's a hint: When was the last time you were out of bed and out the door by 7 a.m. - on a Sunday?

Who doesn't love staying up, and sleeping in a bit later on weekends? But, according to Meridian Health Director of Sleep Medicine Dr. Carol Ash, maintaining the same bedtime and wake-up time every day - yes, even weekends - helps keep your internal clock balanced and properly wound.

But if you're consistently throwing off your body's internal rhythm when weekends hit, don't be surprised to feel your chains grinding when it's time to shift back into high gear - a.k.a., Monday morning.

So, next time someone at the office complains about "the Mondays," smile and remind them that the world gave us YouTube, the Jackson 5 and Kermit the Frog all on a Monday.

And than invite them over for Sunday coffee - at 6 a.m. sharp.