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This summer, unusually high temperatures and humidity are causing health problems.

When we sleep, the body's core temperature declines at the beginning of sleep and then rises near awakening.

Improving air conditioning and controlling humidity are important for good sleep and good health.

The summer of 2026 has been setting records for high temperatures and heat-related deaths in Europe and the U.S. Older adults and those with chronic health problems are affected most, but everyone is affected to some degree. Considerable research has been done to examine how high temperature and humidity affect the quality of our sleep. This is a good time to summarize what we know.

First, let’s look at what happens to our body temperature during a normal night’s sleep. Regulated by the circadian cycle, our core temperature drops slightly at sleep onset and continues to drop, reaching its lowest point after........

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