Climate Change is Associated With Insufficient Sleep

Climate change that leads to warmer than normal nights can do major harm to human sleep, researchers say.

Having a good sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being. Human sleep can be majorly harmed by climate change that leads to warmer than normal nights, claim scientists.

The findings showed that abnormal increases in night temperature by 1 degree Celsius can translate to three nights of insufficient sleep per 100 individuals per month in the US.

Climate Change Could Increase Allergy-Induced Asthma in Children
Greenhouse gas emissions could cause longer oak pollen season that could increase the risk of allergy-induced asthma in children.

‘All of us know that getting a good night’s sleep is important, but very few of us actually make those eight hours as a priority.’

If climate change is not addressed, warmer temperatures could cause six additional nights of insufficient sleep per 100 individuals by 2050 and approximately 14 extra nights per 100 by 2099, the researchers said.

"Sleep has been well-established as a critical component of human health. Too little sleep can make a person more susceptible to disease and chronic illness, and it can harm psychological well-being and cognitive functioning," said lead author Nick Obradovich, postdoctoral student at Harvard University.

"What our study shows is not only that ambient temperature can play a role in disrupting sleep but also that climate change might make the situation worse by driving up rates of sleep loss," Obradovich added.

Warming Ponds May Accelerate Climate Change
Warming can fundamentally alter the carbon balance of small ponds over a number of years, reducing their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide.

For the study, published in the journal Science Advances, the team looked at 765,000 US residents and linked the self-reported nights of insufficient sleep to daily temperature data.

They found that the negative effect of warmer nights is most acute in summer. It is almost three times as high in summer as during any other season.

Climate Changes Increase the Risk of Respiratory Infections
The risk of respiratory infections may increase with a sudden change in the outdoor temperature, reveals study.

In addition, the effect is greatest among the poor and elderly.

For older people, the effect is twice that of younger adults. And for the lower-income group, it is three times worse than for people who are better off financially.

Climate Change may Not be Connected to Location, Local Weather
Americans' belief that the warming of earth is related to the frequency of weather-related events they experience.

"We don't have sleep data from around the world, but assuming the pattern is similar, one can imagine that in places that are warmer or poorer or both, what we'd find could be even worse," Obradovich added.

Source-IANS