Are you having trouble sleeping? A possible cause could be the climate change, as revealed in a study led by Nick Obradovich of Harvard University that has been published in Science Advances.
And of course, who doesn't have a hard time sleeping when the temperature is too high?
A healthy adult should sleep six, seven, or eight hours; if they sleep less, they're likely to wake up the next day tired and perhaps a little irritable from lack of sleep. But it's not easy to rest when the thermometer reads, for example, 28°C at night. Thus, no wonder more than one and more than two fall asleep during the day, but not only in your neighborhood, but throughout the planet.
Obradovich and his team documented the relationship between rising temperatures and poor sleep. When comparing the answers about sleep with the local temperatures, have discovered that in summer it costs up to three times more sleep than in any other season of the year. This phenomenon can be aggravated by the heat wave which occurs in many regions.
Once the relationship between sleep and temperature is established, used global warming projections to see how problems falling asleep would worsen in the second half of the century, especially in the elderly and poor. Scientist Solomon Hsiang, from the University of California, Berkeley, explained that when we make major mistakes, such as when making poor work decisions, it affects us to such an extent that it does not allow us to sleep well.
We all need a good night's sleep, so an alteration of the climate for many days a month will generate a real and important cost that we must consider. Thus, it is foreseeable that, as the Earth warms, we will have to gradually modify some aspects of our daily lives.
It has long been evident that the weather affects our quality of life, and sleep is no exception. A recent study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen has shown that night temperatures, increasingly higher due to climate change, are delaying bedtimes and bringing forward wake-up times, causing us to miss out on precious night's rest.
The sleepers analyzed in the study, which included data from almost 50,000 people, revealed that the warmer temperatures affect sleep duration, and that warmer nights in particular can lead to people losing significant amounts of sleep. For example, when nighttime temperatures outside exceeded 30°C, people lost an average of 15 minutes per night, which over the long term can add up to a significant loss of annual sleep hours. This becomes even more worrying when we consider the cold on clear nights that interferes with rest.
It is important to note that the impact of heat affects different population groups unequally. older people are particularly vulnerable; the study showed that those over 70 experienced significantly more sleep loss. This is because older adults may regulate their body temperature less efficiently, leading to more disrupted and lower-quality sleep.
In addition to age, socioeconomic status plays a key role. The research indicated that residents of low-income countries They experience about three times more sleep disruptions than those in high-income countries. This could be related to factors such as limited access to air conditioning systems, which are more common in wealthier nations. Lack of access to cooling technologies makes these populations the most vulnerable to high nighttime temperatures, something that can be observed in places where the Canicula seriously impacts health.
La Loss of sleep Due to climate change, sleep deprivation isn't just a matter of discomfort; it can also have serious health consequences. Sleep deprivation has been linked to a variety of health problems, including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, mood disturbances, and cognitive decline. Therefore, the impact of heat on our sleep quality may be affecting our health on multiple levels.
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the seriousness of this situation, noting that the adequate rest Sleep is crucial for people's overall health and psychological well-being. Getting less sleep than necessary can have adverse effects on our physical and mental well-being, and in the long term, this can result in a decreased quality of life.
Adaptation needs and possible solutions
As climate change progresses, finding strategies to mitigate its effects on sleep becomes increasingly urgent. Some possible proactive solutions include design and the construction of buildings that facilitate better air circulation, as well as the implementation of urban policies that encourage the creation of green spaces, which can help reduce temperatures in urban areas.
The implementation of green roofs Green roofs are one of the strategies that have been suggested to address these problems. Green roofs not only help cool buildings, but can also contribute to improving air quality and increasing urban biodiversity. This combination of functions ensures that not only are indoor temperatures mitigated, but also offer additional benefits to the community.
Regarding air conditioning, it is important to remember that energy consumption must be carefully managed to prevent the widespread use of air conditioning from contributing to the problem of climate change. The energy used to power air conditioning systems is largely derived from sources that emit carbon dioxide, which in turn contributes to global warming. This creates a vicious cycle that must be addressed to ensure communities are more resilient to heat in the future, especially in the context of phenomena such as impact of the stormiest places.
It's clear that climate change has a profound impact on our sleep and, consequently, on our health and well-being. Understanding how temperature influences our ability to rest is crucial not only to mitigate the effects of climate change, but also to build a sustainable future where sleep is not compromised by climate change. It is imperative that research continues in this area and that practical and effective solutions are implemented to comprehensively address this issue.
