Researchers warn of growing threats to sleep health across Europe

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, 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 wellbeing, immune function, safety for critical tasks, and day-to-day performance.

But the paper points to a range of changes in society which 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 night-time temperatures, more frequent heatwaves and exposure to extreme heat can also cause sleep disruption which may result in poor heart health, mental health issues and sleep apnoea - with the challenge expected to intensify in the future.

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

Researchers also highlight inequalities in access to sleep healthcare. Access to medicine, specialist services, diagnosis and treatment pathway vary considerably across communities, while shortages of trained sleep professionals can leave some people struggling to get support.

The study also raises concerns about the growing fixation on optimising and tracking sleep and the volume of sleep advice available online, including the rising trend of ‘sleepmaxxing’ and Orthosomnia - an obsessive preoccupation with achieving “perfect” sleep metrics through wearable devices.

The paper highlights how misleading or inaccurate information shared through social media and other digital platforms can shape people's understanding of sleep and encourage unrealistic expectations. It also stresses that many sleep tracking technologies require stronger evidence and should not be seen as a substitute for individual, independent professional advice.

Finally, the researchers warn of the impacts of a modern society increasingly organised around a 24-hour culture, with shift work, constant connectivity, after-hours communications and widespread screen use all disrupting natural sleep patterns and reducing opportunities for rest and recovery.

The paper calls for greater recognition of sleep as a public health issue and coordinated action from policymakers, healthcare providers, educators, employers, environmental planners and technology developers.

It highlights the need to improve sleep health literacy through public education, professional training and efforts to counter misinformation, alongside clearer regulation of working hours, digital technologies and environmental exposures.

Other priorities include tackling structural inequalities, developing the sleep health workforce, ensuring the responsible use of digital tools, and improving housing, lighting and personal and workplace environments.

An extensive set of recommendations, organised within a PESTEL framework - Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal and Environmental - is provided in the appendix to support policy development and drive meaningful action to improve sleep health across Europe.

Dr Fran Pilkington-Cheney, part of the Nottingham Institute of Psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences, said: "We're seeing a perfect storm of challenges for sleep health across Europe. 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.

“The European Sleep Research Society already has initiatives aimed at tackling some of these issues but, without wider co-ordinated action, these pressures are likely to become more significant in the years ahead.”

A Call to Action: Challenges and Future Directions for Sleep Health in Europe has been published in the Journal of Sleep Research.