In the study, which is published in Nature Communications, the researchers have analyzed sleep data from over 116,000 people from 29 countries through a special sensor under the mattress. The sensor is, among other things, approved by the American drug agency FDA to measure sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea means short, repeated breathing pauses during sleep.
Data from around 500 nights was combined with information about temperatures, which showed that the risk of sleep apnea was more common when the temperature exceeded the normal. The risk was higher in Europe than in, for example, the USA and Australia. The researchers link this to the fact that it is less common with air conditioning in Europe.
Globally, the risk of being affected by sleep apnea was 45 percent higher on a night when the temperature on the same day had been 27 degrees, compared to one where it had been 6 degrees.
The researchers also made health economic calculations of what the temperature increase caused by climate impact costs society in terms of more cases of sleep apnea.
"The increased occurrence of sleep apnea in 2023 due to global warming is linked to a loss of around 800,000 healthy life years in the 29 countries studied," writes Bastien Lechats at Flinders University, one of the researchers behind the study, in a comment.
Facts: Sleep apnea
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Sleep apnea is short, repeated breathing pauses during sleep. The pauses are at least ten seconds long, but can in some cases be more than a minute. It is common for those who snore to also be affected by sleep apnea. The condition disrupts sleep and can make you feel tired during the days, wake up several times during the night and get a lump feeling in the throat. It is possible to get help for the problems, and there are also some specialist clinics for sleep apnea. Source: 1177
