Hot Nights Steal Sleep... 56 Hours Lost Annually Due to Rising Temperatures
Nature Study: Nighttime Heat Causes Loss of 56 Hours of Sleep Annually and Affects Health
Translated by Qiyas from الأنباء — Original source
The impact of rising temperatures is no longer confined to daytime hours. Recent data indicate that high nighttime temperatures are directly affecting sleep quality and human health, particularly when temperatures do not drop sufficiently to allow the body to cool down and recover.
Nights in which the minimum temperature does not fall below 20 degrees Celsius are known as “tropical nights,” according to a common climatic definition.
A recent report in the journal Nature stated that an analysis of more than 1,300 cities showed that individuals lost an average of about 56 hours of sleep annually due to nighttime heat between 2020 and 2025.
High temperatures hinder the body’s natural cooling process before sleep, which can lead to difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, and fatigue the following day.
Sweating also increases fluid loss, while the heart is forced to work harder to help dissipate heat.
Studies cited by Nature also link severe nighttime heat waves to an increased risk of certain health problems, especially among the elderly and people with chronic conditions. The report emphasizes that these findings reflect a statistical association and do not imply that heat alone is the cause of the recorded cases.
