Revealed: The exact amount of sleep the average middle-aged woman gets – so are you napping more or less than your peers?

Studies show that women aged 40 to 60 sleep an average of just 6 hours and 36 minutes a night due to frequent insomnia and night sweats.

The survey of 1,000 women in this age group reveals the difficult reality of menopause, where the two most important problems are interrupted sleep and joint pain.

The surveyed women declared that they struggle with sleep difficulties and insomnia on average 10 days a month.

They said they regularly wake up between 3 and 4 a.m., which leads to severe exhaustion and fatigue.

One in five women said lack of sleep and other symptoms of menopause put strain on relationships, leading to more arguments with partners or colleagues.

The report also shows that women in this age group sleep for just 6 hours and 36 minutes a night – below the eight hours recommended by the NHS.

This means that over twenty years, exhausted perimenopausal and menopausal women may have slept 17.5% less than recommended, losing the equivalent of 425 days of sleep over 20 years.

Women over 50 are most affected, sleeping an average of just 6 hours and 12 minutes a night, with one in five regularly sleeping just 5 hours.

Other common symptoms include feeling emotionally flat, joint pain, brain fog, and irrational thinking.

The survey, commissioned by sleep technology company Simba, also found that women at this stage of life regularly experience low libido, general anxiety and heart palpitations.

Lisa Artis, deputy chief executive of Simba’s partner The Sleep Charity, said: ‘Menopause isn’t just about strange hot flashes, it’s a rollercoaster of physical and mental symptoms.

“While many people consider night sweats to be the main hallmark of menopause, our research shows that women struggle with a range of symptoms on a daily basis.

“These are not just minor inconveniences.

“Women can spend up to a third of their middle years feeling disconnected from their emotions, struggling with anxiety and dealing with extreme fatigue.

And this happens month after month.

“This is a monumental toll on people’s mental and physical health.

“The terrible truth is that women navigate work, family life and relationships while dealing with serious and often invisible symptoms that are worsening their health and well-being, and which require greater recognition, support and effective solutions.”