Climate change: How it directly affects our sleep health
Trying to sleep during a heatwave or just in a warm room can be anything from uncomfortable to insomnia-inducing. Many people in the next 100 years are likely to lose 50 to 58 hours of sleep out of a year's total due to global warming and climate change, according to new studies.
This reduction in sleep, in turn, has adverse effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Previous studies have shown that rising temperatures can contribute to an increased risk of mental health crises, workplace accidents and injuries, as well as an increased incidence of heart attacks and strokes in susceptible patients due to increased blood viscosity.
The two-year Copenhagen study, conducted by Minor and his team at the University of Copenhagen , was designed to measure the physiological effects of higher outdoor temperatures on healthy adults while they slept. The data, collected from 2015 to 2017, found that warmer temperatures delayed the onset of sleep, reducing the number of hours each adult spent in REM.
Sleep and environment
Early controlled studies in sleep labs have found that both humans and animals are affected when the ambient temperature leans too far in one direction. But this research was limited by one factor: unlike in a lab, an overheated human will take steps to modify the temperature of their sleeping environment to something cooler. But what happens when you can't do that in real life?
It's worth noting that the study failed to include people living in poorer countries, meaning the consequences of warming could be much more severe in regions with even warmer climates, different socio-economic and demographic conditions and different levels of services. public health.
However, the study revealed compelling evidence of the impact of global warming on sleep loss and, at the very least, opens up an inquiry into the global disparity of the effects of climate change.
How to create ideal sleeping conditions
The phenomenon of climate change is a global challenge that requires the awareness of all of us to deal with it. However, even small changes in our daily choices can be enough to resist the already negative effects of the phenomenon and create the conditions for a better quality everyday life.
The Eco mattress series by Orion Strom, combining increased construction specifications compared to the most conventional mattresses and hypoallergenic materials that offer a natural feeling by regulating the body temperature, is an excellent proposal to create an ideal sleeping environment. We do not forget, however, that we should not follow eco-friendly practices only as a trend of the time, but we must understand that a safer environment means a better quality of life for us and the future of our children.
