Sleep allows our bodies to repair tissue, clear brain waste, and consolidate memories — something essential for wellbeing and health.
However, rising temperatures, digital technology and round-the-clock working are increasingly disrupting sleep.
And it is not for individuals alone to address this, researchers warned in a paper published in the Journal of Sleep Research. They are turning to European governments to address the social and economic conditions that determine whether people can get sufficient, restorative sleep.
"We're seeing a perfect storm of challenges for sleep health across Europe,” the co-lead author of the paper, Fran Pilkington-Cheney, lecturer in Psychology and Sleep at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), said in a press release.
“People are aware that sleep matters, but few recognise how factors such as climate change, technology, shift work, urban environments and misinformation are combining to affect how well we sleep.”
Therefore, the authors call for “shifting away from individualised approaches toward coordinated, systems-level action across policy, healthcare, education, industry, and environmental planning” to address the major challenges for getting a good night’s sleep.
Those are climate change and urban environments; unequal access to sleep medicine; the rapid expansion of digital health technologies; online misinformation; and a culture of constant connectivity that leaves less time for rest, according to the paper.
Climate and inequality
Among the mix of environmental, technological and societal pressures that are making it harder for people to get sleep, rising temperatures are emerging as a particular concern.
Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent, and increasingly hot nights can interfere with the body's ability to cool down, delaying sleep and causing more frequent awakenings.
Urban pollution, traffic noise and artificial light at night add to the problem, while climate-related anxiety and extreme weather events can further undermine mental health and sleep.
The effects are unlikely to be distributed equally. People living in poorly insulated homes, those unable to afford cooling and people in overcrowded accommodation face greater difficulties maintaining comfortable sleeping conditions. Refugees and displaced people may also be exposed to excessive heat, noise, artificial light and a lack of privacy.
Technology presents another challenge. Wearable devices and sleep-tracking applications could help people identify potential problems and allow clinicians to monitor patients remotely, particularly in rural areas with limited access to specialists.
But consumer devices are not necessarily accurate enough to diagnose sleep disorders, and their results can cause unnecessary anxiety.
The paper highlights “orthosomnia”, a term describing an excessive preoccupation with achieving supposedly perfect sleep measurements.
The researchers also warn that social media trends such as “sleepmaxxing” can encourage rigid routines, unproven remedies and excessive self-monitoring.
Meanwhile, online influencers and AI tools can spread misleading health advice, making it harder for people to distinguish scientific evidence from commercial promotion.
Work is part of the problem
Europe's 24-hour economy is also placing pressure on sleep.
Shift workers, healthcare staff, transport workers and people in precarious employment may have limited control over their schedules, while remote working and after-hours messages can blur the boundaries between professional and personal life.
The report cites estimates that 21% of workers across Europe engage in shift work, with night shifts presenting particular challenges to the body's natural sleep-wake cycle.
The researchers advocate stronger protections for workers, more predictable schedules, better fatigue-management systems and workplace practices that protect time for rest.
“Without wider co-ordinated action, these pressures are likely to become more significant in the years ahead,” Pilkington-Cheney said.