'Insomnia pandemic' spreads around the world, startling cause

Large research from Denmark shows that if you're finding it harder to fall asleep right now, you're not alone. There is an epidemic of insomnia that is quietly spreading and is likely to get worse, especially in the developing world.

Scientists from the University of Copenhagen - Denmark analyzed data from sleep trackers of 47,000 volunteers from 68 countries, compared them with demographic data and 21 climate models. argues a clear wave of insomnia is spreading.

The cause of this mysterious "insomnia epidemic" is not living habits, the use of phones, computers . as we often think, but comes from a more universal problem: change climate.

Are you having restless nights? You are not alone, because there is a "pandemic of insomnia" threatening the world

Billions of sleep measurements analyzed in the study show that climate change is contributing to an average of 11 sleepless nights per year for people around the world. If the situation worsens, by the end of the 21st century, each person will "lose" 58 hours of sleep per year.

According to Science Alert, climate change is accompanied by global warming, where a natural temperature greater than 25 degrees Celsius will begin to affect sleep. On very warm nights, above 30 degrees Celsius, sleep duration is reduced by an average of 14 minutes; while a temperature greater than 25 degrees Celsius increases the probability that sleep does not last more than 7 hours.

The number of minutes of sleep loss may not seem like much, but in the long run, they will negatively affect health and work productivity, according to a report just published on One Earth.

That's not to mention this average sleep loss isn't evenly distributed among all. While some countries with cooler climates are still resilient to global warming, people still have comfortable enough nights and an ideal eight hours of sleep; Some countries strongly affected by heat waves will suffer more and more obvious damage.

For low-income regions or countries, where people have little access to cooling facilities, the "sleep epidemic" is certainly more serious.

"Our bodies are highly adapted to maintain a constant temperature, on which all life activities depend. Yet every night we do one important thing without even knowing it, which is to give off heat. surroundings by dilating blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow to the hands and feet," explains Dr. Kelton Minor, lead author of the study.

Excessively high ambient temperature will affect this heat process, especially on hot nights accompanied by high humidity. That prevents the body's recovery even during the hours we sleep and makes the body uncomfortable, difficult to sleep, not sleeping well.

According to the authors, a future global study is urgently needed to systematically evaluate the potential impacts of climate hazards on human health, especially with seemingly unrelated things like dreams. sleep, especially in vulnerable populations.

The results once again emphasize the impacts of climate change, and the urgency of eradicating fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and taking measures to protect and restore the environment.