The difference between Men and Women
I’m about to say something that to some, may seem controversial even though it is a fact of life.
Men and women are different. Fundamentally, biologically, and naturally men and women are different. There are some things that men are better at than women, and some things that women are better at than men. Neither gender is better, or superior over the other but they are simply different.
One of the biggest differences between men and women that is hardly ever discussed, is the hormonal difference between men and women.
Yes of course, hormonally men and women are different. Many would argue that women are more emotional and “more” hormonal than men. But the reality is, men actually have a very similar hormonal cycle to women, as far as the swings that they go through and altering energy levels. However, the key difference is, as many know, women operate on a 28 hormonal cycle. Men, on the other hand, operate on a 24 hour hormonal cycle.
Men experience a peak in testosterone (and energy) early in the morning typically around 8:00 pm, with a steady decrease over the next 8 hours. They experience their lowest levels of testerone between 7:00-9:00 pm, and then repeat the process of a gradual increase in testosterone over the next 8 hours while they sleep.
Many women learn at some point in life about their hormonal cycle. Somewhere around age 14 or 15 we start our periods, the world ends, and we’re cursed to spend roughly the next 40-50 years in agony once a month, or so we’re taught to think.
In reality, the “period” or menstrual phase, is just one of the four phases that women go through each month, with the other three being the luteal phase, follicular phase, and the ovulation phase. Your body is never not in one of these phases, and they all serve different purposes, and have pros and cons.
If you’re interested in learning more in depth about the four different cycles women go through you can read this article here, but I’ve explained the basics below.
The menstrual phase:
The menstrual phase begins on the first day of your cycle and lasts anywhere between 3-7 days. Typically 3-5 days is considered healthy, 7 days is normal. Any longer than that is an indicator that your hormones are unbalanced. The menstrual phase is the shedding of the uterine lining to rid the body of the unfertilized egg.
Follicular phase:
Your follicular phase is the longest phase in the menstrual cycle, it begins on the first day of menstruation and ends when you begin ovulation. Your follicular phase is responsible for your egg being released from the ovaries for fertilization. One egg will reach maturity faster than the others and will be released from the ovarian follicles, through the fallopian tube. During this time, your body transitions into ovulation, and the egg is either fertilized and you become pregnant, or the egg dies and is released during your period.
Ovulation phase:
This is typically your highest energy time of your cycle. Your ovulation cycle is actually the only time you can get pregnant during your cycle, and your ovulation phase is typically around two weeks. During your ovulation phase your body is releasing an egg from your ovaries to allow it the opportunity to be fertilized. This time period is only 24-48 hours generally, and if the egg is not fertilized in this time, it will die, and be released during your period. Sperm can last in the uterus for up to 6 days before it dies, and if you have active sperm in your uterus within your ovulation window, then there is a good chance your egg will be fertilized.
Luteal phase:
The luteal phase is responsible for the thickening of the uterine lining and occurs just after ovulation. It is the last phase of your menstrual cycle and ends when your period starts, thus repeating the cycle.
So we see these women go through changes week to week, experiencing higher energy levels at certain times of the month, vs others. Women may experience their luteal phase as being a particularly creative time for them, while their menstrual phase is a time that they need rest.
All this to be said, it seems in this particular way men are set up to unfair advantage. Men go through all these hormonal cycles in a days time, and find their most productive, highest energy time is during the working hours, with decrease in energy levels during evening hours. Women, on the other hand, can struggle with performing at the same level every single week, with varying hormonal levels, or may be better suited to certain tasks during certain times of the month than others.
Additionally, women need more sleep than men. It’s always been advised that we get an even eight hours, however, as we do more research and begin to really explore the differences between men and women, we’ve learned than many do better with 9-10 hours a night of sleep. If you’ve ever felt lazy or unproductive for needing these extra hours, you’re not alone, and it turns out it may be what you needed all along. Additionally, women often need more sleep during certain phases of their cycle. Eight and half hours may be suitable during the ovulation phase when you have more energy, but you may need closer to 10 during your menstrual cycle.
All of these factors, and more, contribute to men and women oftentimes thriving in different environments. Once upon a time, menstruating women used to leave the village and spend several days alone by the river, or with other menstruating women. While to some this may be seen as ostracizing, some think of this as an opportunity to embrace community and allow women to have the rest that they truly need during a time that can be quite taxing on the body.
Today, however, we live in a world where were told that women can do everything men can do, and that women should be girl bosses who work high demanding corporate jobs. I’m certainly not saying that women can’t hold these positions. I’m simply saying that if you have no desire for such a thing, or if you would rather live a lifestyle that allows you to embrace your body’s most natural cycles that anyone, man or woman, should be able to do that.
Men and women are not the same, and we may find that our bodies work and feel better if we’re allowed to live in a state closer to optimization.