The key facts

  • The paper in the Journal of Sleep Research names five main challenges to sleep: climate and the urban environment, unequal access to sleep care, digital technologies, online disinformation and constant connectivity.
  • Europe is the fastest-warming continent; hot nights hinder the body's cooling and cause frequent awakenings, hitting vulnerable groups hardest.
  • According to estimates cited in the report, 21% of Europe's workers do shift work; researchers call for protecting workers and making schedules more predictable.

'A perfect storm' for sleep in Europe

During sleep, the body repairs tissue, clears the brain of metabolic waste and consolidates memories, which is critically important for health. However, as researchers warn in a paper published in the Journal of Sleep Research, rising temperatures, digital technologies and a round-the-clock work rhythm are increasingly disrupting sleep. The authors address not only individuals but also the governments of European countries, urging them to tackle the social and economic conditions on which restorative sleep depends. Co-author of the study, lecturer in psychology and sleep at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) Fran Pilkington-Cheney, called the situation a 'perfect storm' of problems for sleep health in Europe: people are aware of the importance of sleep, but few understand how climate change, technology, shift work, the urban environment and disinformation act in combination.

Five key challenges

The authors identify the main obstacles to healthy sleep: climate change and the urban environment; unequal access to sleep medicine care; the rapid spread of digital health technologies; online disinformation; and a culture of constant connectivity that leaves ever less time for rest. The scientists call for 'moving away from purely individual approaches in favour of coordinated systemic action in policy, healthcare, education, industry and urban planning.'

Climate and inequality

Rising temperatures pose a particular problem: Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and increasingly hot nights prevent the body from cooling down, delay falling asleep and lead to frequent awakenings. The situation is worsened by urban pollution, traffic noise and artificial night-time lighting, while climate anxiety and extreme weather events undermine mental health and sleep. The consequences are unevenly distributed: people in poorly insulated homes, without means to cool their housing or in cramped apartments face greater difficulties, and refugees and displaced people often confront heat, noise, light and a lack of privacy.

Technology and disinformation

Wearable devices and sleep-tracking apps can help identify problems and allow doctors to monitor patients remotely, especially in rural areas with limited access to specialists. However, consumer gadgets are not always accurate for diagnosing sleep disorders, and their data can cause unnecessary anxiety. The paper describes 'orthosomnia' — an obsessive pursuit of supposedly perfect sleep metrics. The researchers also warn that trends popular on social media, such as 'sleepmaxxing,' push people towards rigid routines, unverified methods and excessive self-monitoring, while online influencers and AI tools spread dubious advice, making it harder to distinguish scientific evidence from commercial advertising.

Work as part of the problem

Sleep quality is also being undermined by Europe's 24-hour economy. Shift workers, medical staff, transport employees and people with precarious employment often have little control over their schedules, while remote work and messages outside working hours blur the boundaries between professional and personal life. The report cites estimates that 21% of workers in Europe do shift work, with night shifts particularly strongly disrupting the natural sleep–wake cycle. The scientists advocate stronger worker protections, more predictable schedules, effective fatigue management systems and workplace practices that allow time for rest. 'Without broader and coordinated action, the pressure of these factors is likely only to increase in the coming years,' Pilkington-Cheney warned.