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A new paper from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Early Career Network of the European Sleep Research Society warns that sleep health is becoming a growing public health challenge across Europe and is calling for coordinated action to protect it.

The research was led by Dr. Fran Pilkington-Cheney, senior lecturer in psychology and sleep at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), and Dr. Adrian Michalak, of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Sleep is essential for physical and mental health, learning, memory, emotional well-being, immune function, safety for critical tasks and day-to-day performance.

But the paper points to a range of changes in society that are making it harder for people to get the rest they need and identifies several major threats to sleep health.

Climate change and the built environment are playing an increasingly important role, particularly in densely populated areas and poorer-quality housing. Noise pollution, artificial light and poor air quality, which can weaken respiratory and immune systems, can all make it more difficult to sleep.

Rising nighttime temperatures, more frequent heat waves and exposure to extreme heat can also cause sleep disruption that may result in poor heart health, mental health issues and sleep apnea—with the challenge expected to intensify in the future.

Displacement due to climate change or conflict that interacts with the loss of stable housing and energy poverty is also seen to cause sleep disturbances that can persist for many years.

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