Ever wondered why you're not sleeping well? It may be because the country you live in isn't progressive enough. 

Women in managerial jobs appear to get better sleep if they work in a country with higher levels of gender equality, according to a study of European sleep patterns by researchers from Melbourne University.

However, while male managers' sleep also benefits from gender equality, they are less likely to have restless nights in countries with higher gross domestic product (GDP). 

Essentially, men tend to experience a sleep premium from economic development and women from gender empowerment.

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The university researchers came to the conclusion by studying the 2012 European Social Survey, which included more than 18,000 people from 29 European countries describing their sleeping habits. 

Participants in the survey were asked if they had experienced any restless nights within the past week, as well as what their jobs were and the country they lived in. 

The data were then compared with the United Nations' gender development index, which aims to establish national gender gaps in education, healthcare and employment opportunities.

"We investigated the relationship between sleep, managerial status and country-level economic and gender development," the authors said, their research confirming the theory that people with higher status are more likely to report restless sleep.

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However, the report stressed that the link between managerial positions and poor sleep was "significantly structured by gender and economic development in ways that are distinctly gendered."

"Economic growth alone is not enough - its sleep benefit is rather limited to men managers," noted the report. "By contrast, higher levels of gender development reduce the likelihood of having restless sleep, among men and women alike." 

The authors concede there were limitations to the study, particularly the fact the survey didn't ask for how long participants slept. 

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But they said that as social scientists increasingly highlight sleep as a form of inequality, broader questions would likely be asked in future reports, adding that the policy implications of their report were obvious. 

Higher levels of gender equality clearly improved women managers' sleep, "helping to reduce the stress of higher status experienced by women workers," the report said. 

The report concluded that the findings underscore the potential benefits of policies that reduce the gap between men and women. On publishing, Leah Ruppanner, one of the report's co-authors, wrote on Twitter: "Another indication that gender equality is good for our health."