Extreme Heat in Europe Is Robbing People of Sleep, 65% Report More Than 3 Hours of Sleeplessness a Night

Scorching temperatures sweeping across the European continent are severely affecting residents’ psychological and physical well-being.

A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that during this summer, which has been marked by record heat in Western Europe, 65 percent of adults said they remained awake for at least three hours every night, unable to sleep.

Disruptions to the sleep cycle are an unavoidable side effect of summers that are becoming longer and increasingly hotter as a result of the climate crisis.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at more than twice the global average, turning it into an epicenter of the sleep deprivation problem.

According to a group of international scientists studying the link between climate and extreme weather events, nights with such abnormal temperatures are now one hundred times more likely precisely because of climate change.

Heat-related sleep deprivation has only recently been identified as a key indicator of the impact climate change is having on mental and physical health.

An international research team analyzed data from nearly 165 million sleep periods recorded by around 318,000 users of sleep-tracking devices worn on the body or placed beneath the mattress to assess how rising temperatures are affecting nighttime rest.

Beyond its effects on mood and the ability to focus, irregular sleep can increase the risk of developing diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and even obesity.