How much humans sleep could be impacted in the coming decades due to climate change, a study in the Journal One Earth reported.
The study found that by the end of the century, humans could average 58 fewer hours of sleep per year due to rising temperatures. The study found that people who sleep in warmer climates generally get less sleep.
“In real-world settings, humans appear to be better at adapting their surroundings to obtain sufficient sleep under cooler outside conditions, whereas sleep loss increases with rising ambient temperatures,” the study noted.
The elderly, women, and residents of lower-income countries are impacted most, the authors wrote.
“High ambient temperatures may predispose susceptible segments of society to worsened affect, anger and aggression, hypertension and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, diminished cognitive performance, elevated risk of accidents and injuries and compromised immune system functioning,” the study wrote.
