Rising temperatures linked to climate change are not just an environmental concern; they are also severely impacting human health and wellbeing. A new analysis by Climate Central reveals that the average person worldwide is losing nearly 56 hours of sleep each year due to elevated nighttime temperatures, with a significant portion of this loss directly attributable to climate change.
Alarming Findings from Climate Central
The study, which examined data from 1,338 cities across the globe, indicates that the rise in ambient nighttime temperatures has led to substantial sleep deprivation. Between 2020 and 2025, individuals lost an average of nearly 56 hours of sleep annually, with over six hours—equivalent to an additional sleepless night—directly linked to climate change. This groundbreaking analysis is reportedly the first of its kind to quantify sleep loss resulting from climate change by examining temperature effects on sleep patterns.
“Climate change and nighttime warming are increasingly impinging on the ability to get a good night’s sleep,” the report emphasises. Alarmingly, the analysis shows that the climate change-related sleep loss has at least doubled since the early 1970s in 1,335 of the cities studied, and has tripled in around 840 cities.
Regional Disparities in Sleep Loss
The effects are most pronounced in the Middle East, where residents of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates reportedly lose between 55 and 87 hours of sleep each year due to high nighttime temperatures, with 12 to 16 hours of that loss attributable to climate change—nearly two full nights annually.
In southern India and parts of Southeast Asia, sleep loss ranges from 78 to 91 hours per year, with eight to nine hours linked to climate change. West African nations, including Niger, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso, are not spared, with sleep losses exceeding 65 hours annually, of which 10 to 11 hours are climate-related.
In the United States, the situation is similarly concerning. The analysis of 253 cities indicates an average sleep loss of 36 hours per year due to high nighttime temperatures, with about four hours attributed to climate change. The hardest-hit areas include states like Arizona, California, Florida, and Nevada. Notably, in the early 1970s, the climate-related sleep loss across these cities was just over one hour annually, marking a significant escalation over the decades.
Health Implications of Sleep Deprivation
The ramifications of this chronic loss of sleep are far-reaching. Health experts warn that insufficient sleep can lead to adverse effects on mood, cognitive function, productivity, and overall physical health, including cardiovascular and immune system issues. “Because many people already get insufficient sleep and sleep loss can accumulate over repeated nights, even modest reductions can become harmful over the course of a hot season,” the report points out.
Certain demographics are particularly vulnerable. The analysis indicates that older adults face over twice the risk from warmer nighttime temperatures compared to middle-aged individuals. Additionally, people in lower-middle-income countries experience nearly three times the sleep loss related to climate change compared to their counterparts in wealthier nations. Women and those residing in already hot climates are also at heightened risk, with projections suggesting that heat-related sleep loss will intensify as global temperatures continue to rise.
Inequalities in Access to Cooling Solutions
While air conditioning can mitigate some of the adverse effects of rising temperatures, it is not a complete solution. The research highlights the stark inequality in access to cooling, with only 35% of households globally equipped with air conditioning as of 2021. “Access to cooling is often tied to income and remains highly unequal in many hot countries, including parts of South Asia and Africa,” the report observes. Even in higher-income settings, where air conditioning is more common, the problem persists.
The analysis utilised observed daily minimum temperatures alongside counterfactual estimates—what temperatures would have been without human-induced climate change—over a six-year span from 2020 to 2025, comparing it to data from the early 1970s.
Why it Matters
This study sheds light on a previously underappreciated consequence of climate change: the erosion of sleep quality and quantity. With sleep deprivation linked to myriad health issues, including mental health disorders and chronic diseases, the implications of these findings are profound. As temperatures continue to rise, the urgency for global action to combat climate change has never been clearer. Addressing this crisis is not just about protecting the environment; it is also about safeguarding human health and ensuring a better quality of life for future generations.