Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Climate change Scientists have found that it can disrupt your good sleep.
This is because the nights are hotter climate crisis can make sleep Apnoea More common – a condition thought to affect around 10 million people in the UK.
people with sleep Apnoea often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and may wake up many timesnot only causes excessive sleepiness during the day, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Researchers in Australia found that during heat wavesThe number of people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasing.
Study author Dr Lucia Pinilla, from Flinders University, said: “During summer heatwaves, obstructive sleep apnea has become more common and more severe. OSA must now be considered alongside other chronic diseases that have been made worse by climate change. Heatwaves are not only uncomfortable, but they can also directly affect the way we breathe and sleep.”
Previous research has already shown that rising temperatures could increase heart attacks, suicides and accidents.
A 2022 study, published in the journal one earthIt turns out that the average global citizen is already losing 44 hours of sleep a year, with women and older people being most affected.
Researchers from the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Flinders University in Australia analyzed data from 67,558 people from 17 European countries.
Participants used sleep sensors under the mattress that tracked sleep patterns, snoring, apnea events – or interruptions in breathing – and heart rate. Most participants were male and their average age was 52 years.
Data from the sleep sensors were tracked from January 2020 to September 2024, covering five summers, and compared to local nighttime temperatures to assess the impact of heatwaves.
Researchers observed an average of two to three heatwaves per year, with each heatwave lasting about four to five days.
Results published in European Respiratory Journal found that the risk of people suffering from moderate to severe OSA increased by 13 percent at the peak of the heatwave.
They also found that for every 1C increase in nighttime temperatures during a heatwave, the prevalence of moderate to severe OSA also increased by about 1 percent. The danger was even greater when humidity was also high.
“These effects are likely to be similar in other parts of the world and may be even more pronounced in areas with warmer climates or more frequent heatwaves,” Dr Pinilla said.
“However, factors such as housing quality and access to air conditioning may influence the severity of the impact.”
The team now plans to investigate how hot nights affect breathing during sleep, why OSA worsens and whether cooling strategies or behavioral changes can help reduce the effects.
Professor Sophia Schiza, head of the European Respiratory Society group on sleep disordered breathing based at the University of Crete in Greece, who was not involved in the research, said: “Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke, but many sufferers do not realize they have a problem.
“This research shows how heatwaves, where temperatures remain high overnight, increase the risk of OSA.”