Sleep quality
Explanation of the problem
Heat can result in hot bedrooms. Whether this occurs and to what extent depends on various characteristics of the home and the bedroom, such as the level of insulation, the orientation of the bedroom and windows in relation to the sun, the presence of sunshades or climate control, ventilation options, and the floor on which the bedroom is located. The location in the city also plays a role: is the residence in a warm neighbourhood or not? Furthermore, individual behaviour is crucial: is sun shading applied, and is ventilation done at the right times of the day?
High temperatures in bedrooms can cause sleep problems. As a result, people may sleep less soundly, less deeply, wake up more often, and take longer to fall back asleep. This can lead to health problems. Poor sleep also results in daytime concentration problems, affecting both indoor and outdoor work productivity.
Information and maps for better understanding
Basic maps according to the standardized stress test
- Map showing the number of warm nights per year (Climate Impact Atlas) → provides insight into the number of warm nights in the built-up area, now and in the future. If it remains warm at night, it is more challenging to maintain a comfortably cool environment indoors, which is necessary for a good night’s sleep.
Additional maps
- Maps with information about buildings (such as construction year and energy labels) → to estimate which buildings are poorly insulated and heat up earlier, leading to sleep quality problems due to heat.
- Maps with information about vulnerable groups (such as Climate Impact Atlas|Impacts| Severely lonely people aged 75+) → to estimate where vulnerable groups live that may experience sleep quality problems due to heat.
Some measures and guidelines
- Behavioural adjustments: ventilate the bedroom at the right time of the day, use sunshades, sleep in a cooler area of the house.
- Modify buildings to better protect against heat (see comfort in buildings).
- Improve climate control in the bedroom (ventilation, sunshades, roof insulation, air conditioning).
- Spatial adaptation to keep outdoor temperature and perceived temperature low (see comfort in the city).
comfort in the city).