Kolkata's Sleep Crisis: Warm Nights Steal 80 Hours Annually

Rising nighttime temperatures are significantly impacting sleep for residents in Kolkata, a city now identified as India's third most sleep-deprived megacity. The average Kolkatan loses approximately 80 hours of sleep each year because of persistently warm nights.

This sleep loss is directly linked to climate change, with researchers attributing about five hours of annual deprivation to its effects. This trend is not unique to Kolkata, as other Indian megacities also experience substantial sleep loss due to heat.

The study emphasizes the detrimental health consequences of poor sleep, including impaired cognitive performance, anxiety, depression, and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and hypertension.

Densely populated urban areas like Kolkata suffer more due to the urban heat island effect, where structures trap heat, leading to higher nighttime temperatures. This phenomenon contributes to the extensive sleep deprivation observed.

Globally, Climate Central's analysis of over 1,300 cities indicates that temperature-related sleep loss linked to climate change has more than doubled since the early 1970s. The average person worldwide now loses nearly 56 hours of sleep annually due to high nighttime temperatures.

Medical experts have labeled sleep disruption as an emerging public health concern, stressing that adequate sleep is crucial for optimal health. As climate change intensifies hot nights, this issue is expected to worsen, affecting both public well-being and productivity.