Air pollution could be ruining your sleep
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Air pollution is linked to an estimated 40,000 early deaths a year.
By Thomas Tambyln and Alexandra Britton
People living in areas with high levels of air pollution have been found to be up to 60% more likely to suffer from sleep deprivation than those living with lower pollution levels, research has found.
The study, which involved 1,863 people, suggested that the impact of air pollution on a person’s respiratory and central nervous system was so severe that it could ultimately affect how well we sleep.
Assistant professor of medicine at the University of Washington Martha Billings is the study’s lead author.
“Prior studies have shown that air pollution impacts heart health and affects breathing and lung function, but less is known about whether air pollution affects sleep,” explained Billings.
“We thought an effect was likely given that air pollution causes upper airway irritation, swelling and congestion, and may also affect the central nervous system and brain areas that control...
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