A tropical night brings little cooling at night. This disrupts sleep and is also a health risk. Such nights can also happen in Germany.
Tropical nights sound like a vacation in a tropical paradise, but they don’t have much in common with that. They cause us to toss and turn in bed at night, prevent us from cooling down and put a strain on our health. According to the German Weather Service, a tropical night occurs when the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees Celsius between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. (UTC).
In this article we will explain to you what dangers such warm nights pose, how likely they are and what can help.
Health dangers of a tropical night
Many people find it difficult to sleep in hot weather. A tropical night in particular can prevent a restful sleep, as the room temperature should be below 20 degrees Celsius.
The heat on such a night disrupts the human body’s normal thermoregulation. The body temperature cannot decrease effectively, which affects the natural sleep rhythm. The consequences are sleepless nights, increased night sweats and exhaustion and tiredness the next morning.
People with previous illnesses and older people in particular suffer physically from heat. With age, the regulation of body temperature slows down and the feeling of thirst becomes less reliable. Therefore, older people are at risk of dehydration and overheating. Physically weakened people are also more susceptible to heat-related illness symptoms such as circulatory failure.
Tropical nights can increase the connection between high temperatures and worsening health, in the worst case, even death. The reason: On a tropical night there is no night-time cooling that provides relief.
More tropical nights because of the climate crisis
Tropical nights were particularly recorded during the extreme “hot summers” in Germany in 2003, 2015 and 2018. According to the German Weather Service, the number of tropical nights has increased significantly in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in recent decades. A trend that will continue in the next few years due to global warming.
The Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS) of the Helmholtz Center Hereon has calculated that many districts in Germany could experience two to three tropical nights per year by the middle of the century. Until 2000, however, there was often not a single tropical night per year.
Sleep better on a tropical night
It’s not easy for many people to find peace on a tropical night. However, a few measures can help, such as a lukewarm shower before bed, a light dinner or cool bed linen. You can read more tips for good sleep here:
- Too warm to sleep? 9 common mistakes that keep you awake in the heat
- What to do in the heat? 5 tips from Southern Europe
- In the heat: 8 tips for cooling an attic apartment
Edited by Lucas Drebenstedt
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- Tired because of the heat: you can do this
- What to do on a hot day? 5 leisure ideas in the heat
- Summer recipes: Light dishes that are suitable in the heat
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