3 charts show how extreme heat is costing us hours of lost sleep
The U.S. has been pummeled with heat waves this summer. Here’s how hot overnight temperatures can get in the way of a good night’s rest—in three charts
Extreme heat is impacting sleep quality by making it harder for people to cool down during the night. According to a study by Climate Central, between 2020 and 2025, individuals globally lost an average of 56 hours of sleep per year due to high overnight temperatures. Of this, approximately 6 hours per year were attributed to climate change.
In the United States, cities in Florida, Arizona, and Nevada experienced the most sleep loss due to climate change. Notably, wealthy countries like the United States and India have been affected, with residents losing up to 93 hours of sleep per year in India. Climate Central's analysis revealed that cities with cooler desert nights, such as Flagstaff, Reno, and Salt Lake City, saw the sharpest declines in sleep over the past 50 years.
These findings highlight the importance of addressing heat-related sleep loss, as it can lead to mental health issues, heart disease, and obesity.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
