1. Climate Change and Sleep
Fco. Javier Puertas, MD PhD
Sleep Disorders Center, Neurology Department
University Hospital Liege, Belgium

2. • Effects of global warming impacts includes
ecosystems degradation, agricultural productivity,
desertification, extreme temperaturas and
natural disasters.
• The toxic accumulation in food chain and water,
increased pathogens transmission will increase
the popiulation morbidity and mortality,
particularly in low income countries
• Natural disasters can affect mental health and
changes in immigration flows that can increase
social problems and violence

6. • Rising temperature associated to CO2 emissions
and air pollution impairs cardiopulmonary
function, increases asthma and allergic diseases,
worsen preexisting cardiopulmonary diseases as
COPD or Heart Failure, and increases mortality

8. Rising temperature and extreme
climate events
• From end of XIX century average temperatura has rised
1.3-1.9 º F and it is projected to increase another 2-4ºF
in the coming next decades.
• Higher daytime temperatures are a psychological
stressor and nightime impacts in sleep coupled
thermoregulation and then in sleep quality
(Obradovich et al 2017)
• Extreme weather events and natural disasters as
hurricanes impact mental health in general population
and increases underlying psychiatric morbidity
• PSG parameters of hurricane victims show ligth and
fragmented sleep, nigthmares and post traumatic
stress disorder (Mellman et al. 1995)

9. Conclusions:
-Health effects of Climate
change include an
increase of allergic
respiratory diseases as
bronchial asthma and
allergic rhinitis

10. • The population‐weighted prevalence of AR was 36.5%.
• Subjects with AR had higher odds of
– sleep latency ≥30 minutes (OR 1.24; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.51; p = 0.04),
– sleep apnea (OR 1.86; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.82; p < 0.01),
– insomnia (OR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.32; p = 0.04),
– trouble falling asleep (OR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.75; p < 0.01),
– waking up during the night (OR 1.49; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.99; p = 0.01),
– waking up too early in the morning (OR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.79; p < 0.01),
– feeling unrested during the day (OR 1.76, 95% CI, 1.43 to 2.16; p < 0.01),
– feeling overly sleeping during the day (OR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.25 to 1.90; p < 0.01),
– not getting enough sleep (OR 1.68; 95% CI, 1.41 to 1.99; p < 0.01),
– using sleep medication (OR 1.69; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.33; p < 0.01),
– difficulty concentrating (OR 1.93; 95% CI, 1.30 to 2.88; p < 0.01),
remembering (OR 1.91; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.97; p < 0.01), managing finances (OR
1.68; 95% CI, 1.09 to 2.56; p = 0.02), working (OR 2.16; 95% CI, 1.45 to
3.22; p < 0.01), and getting things done (OR 2.35; 95% CI, 1.36 to 4.06; p <
0.01) due to daytime sleepiness.

12. Other Climate changes effects and
Sleep disorders
• Several viral pandemics has been related to sleep
disorders
• 1918 Flu pandemic and the letargia/insomnia
related to encephalitis
• Narcolepsy is suspected as autoinmune disease
related to airway infections (Flu, streptococus,..)
• Limitation to nutrients in low income populatoins
can impact in sleep disorders, as iron deficit
related restless legs syndrome

13. Conclusions
• Climate change will have an important impact in global
human health.
• Direct effects of these changes include mental health
diseases, and the increase of insomnia burden worldwide
• Rising average temperature has consequences in nocturtnal
sleep quality anf thermoregulation
• There are an increase of cardiorespiratory and allergic
diseases that impairs sleep or become worse during
nightime.
• Natural disasters and extreme events increase mortality,
cause postraumatic stress disorders and impacts sleep.
• However, most of these are projections of current available
data with limited evidence.
• Most of Health Agencies work both in the way to drive the
political actions to reduce the climate change, but also to
face the challenge on human health

14. Thank you very much