Sleep Health in Europe: Why Are Risks Growing?

What is threatening sleep health across Europe?

A taskforce from the European Sleep Research Society's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Early Career Network has examined the conditions shaping sleep across Europe. Its paper combines a scoping review with expert consensus to identify priorities for action. The authors argue that environmental exposures, barriers to treatment and social expectations can reinforce one another, particularly for vulnerable groups. The paper offers a research and public health agenda; it does not measure a new continent-wide increase in sleep disorders. [European sleep-health review](https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70467).

The clinical stakes extend beyond feeling tired. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society recommend that adults aged 18–60 regularly obtain at least seven hours of sleep. Habitually shorter sleep is associated with impaired performance, accidents, depression and cardiometabolic conditions. These associations do not establish that sleep loss independently causes every outcome: illness can also disturb sleep. Duration is only one dimension of healthy sleep, alongside quality, timing and regularity. [Adult sleep consensus statement](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4442216/).

How do nighttime heat and traffic noise affect sleep?

A systematic review published in Sleep Medicine Reviews in 2024 found that higher indoor or outdoor temperatures were generally associated with worse sleep quality and quantity in real-world settings. Evidence suggested greater vulnerability among older people and populations facing socioeconomic disadvantage. However, the authors identified methodological limitations and called for stronger intervention studies. The findings support concern about overheating, but they do not establish one ideal bedroom temperature or prove that a particular cooling intervention will work equally well for everyone. [Systematic review of ambient heat and sleep](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101915).

Noise provides another practical target. WHO recommends reducing nighttime road-traffic noise below 45 decibels using the Lnight measure, because higher exposure is associated with adverse effects on sleep. Lnight describes long-term average outdoor nighttime exposure; it is not a bedside reading or a limit for an individual passing vehicle. WHO recommends measures that reduce noise at its source and along its path to homes. For communities, this makes transport infrastructure and residential sound protection relevant to sleep prevention. [WHO environmental noise guidelines](https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/279952/9789289053563-eng.pdf).

What changes could help people sleep better?

The European taskforce calls for changes to the structural and organizational conditions that support sleep, alongside better public understanding and equitable access to care. A practical implication is that prevention should examine the obstacles people actually face: an overheating home, disruptive surroundings or expectations of constant availability. Advice about bedtime routines may be difficult to follow when those conditions persist. Evaluating environmental and workplace interventions would help establish which changes produce meaningful improvements. [European sleep-health review](https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70467).

Persistent insomnia also requires appropriate clinical care. The European Insomnia Guideline recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, as the initial treatment for adults with chronic insomnia, including those with other medical or mental health conditions. Treatment can be delivered in person or digitally and addresses thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate sleep difficulties. Assessment includes sleep and medical history, often supported by a sleep diary. Additional testing is appropriate when another sleep disorder is suspected. [European Insomnia Guideline](https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14035).