After a sleepless night, I woke up exhausted, tired and a little nervous. I think many of you have experienced insomnia and are well aware of its consequences. It’s not very pleasant to “wake up” without even falling asleep. I don't think I thought about it until now, but this morning, under the influence of lack of rest, I realized that lately more and more people are complaining of sleep problems, trouble falling asleep, frequent waking at night, or even suffering from insomnia. In the reality we live in, you would say that this is not surprising. The consequences of pandemics, everyday stress, overwork, health problems… There are many factors that can disrupt our sleep or even deprive us of it.
Regular quality sleep supports the physical and mental health of a person, and its lack leads to a decrease in cognitive functions and productivity, impaired immune system function, an increased risk of developing arterial hypertension (hypertension), depression, lethargy, bad mood, absenteeism from work and more. Despite all the unpleasant consequences, many people, especially residents of developed countries, do not get enough sleep for seven hours of sleep a day. And in this, according to the authors of the new research, not only careerism and household chores are to blame, but also the increase in night temperatures.
Most of the research examining the impact of climate change on human life has focused on how extreme weather events affect economic and social outcomes on a large scale.
However, climate change can have a profound impact on people's basic daily activities, including a range of behavioral, psychological and physiological outcomes that are essential for well-being.
Personally interested in this topic, I decided to find out more information and I definitely want to share it with you.
And here's what I found: according to a study published in One Earth, if the pace of climate change is not reduced, then by 2099 each of us will lose 50-58 hours of sleep annually.
Global warming has negatively affected the sleep of people around the world, since 2010 reducing its duration by about 44 hours annually for each of us. This conclusion was made by scientists from the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Technical University.
According to the experts, the reduction in sleep depends on the time of year, social demographics, and various climatic conditions. A warmer climate is said to exacerbate the problem.
In countries with limited access to fans or air conditioners, the amount of sleep is drastically reduced due to high nighttime temperatures. The effect of temperature on sleep quality is much stronger in low-income countries, as well as in older people and women.
The findings are based on data from over 47,000 sleep monitoring systems in 68 countries. More than 7 million of their records were then compared to global weather data.
The authors found that on very hot nights at temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), sleep duration was reduced by an average of 14 minutes.
Losing a few minutes of sleep seems insignificant, but in the long run it can negatively impact a person's health and performance.
Deeply marked by the revelations of experts, I once again realized how important the topic of global warming is for humanity. Have you ever thought that high temperatures can deprive you of sleep and, consequently, life? Until you think about the answer, I suggest you do not miss the next articles. In one of which I will share some life hacks that will help you sleep well on hot nights.