Climate Change Is Messing Up Our Sleep

We know by now that global warming causes damage to the environment. But can it cause issues with our sleep too?

It turns out that the rising temperatures and increasing levels of carbon dioxide associated with global warming harm both the environment and our sleep.

People who live in areas with high levels of carbon dioxide in the air, often caused by cars in traffic, tend to experience sleep disruption over time. A study from the University of Washington found that people who lived in areas with the most air pollution are likely to have more trouble sleeping.

Air pollution has also been linked with sleep apnea, a breathing condition that disrupts sleep. According to author Martha E. Billings in a USA Today article, “air pollutants can lead to irritation and inflammation in airways and nasal passages.” When airways and nasal passages become blocked, breathing becomes harder. As anyone with allergies knows, difficulty breathing negatively affects sleep.

And if the air pollution weren’t bad enough, the rise in temperature has been shown to impact sleep as well according to a new article in Science Advances. Room and body temperature play a key role in falling asleep. If the sleeping environment is too cold or hot, there will be difficulty falling and staying asleep.  Those who do not have air conditioning systems will be affected by sleeplessness caused by global warming.

In order to sleep smart, we have to live smart. Protecting our environment can help improve our sleeping environment.