2 June 2026
Poor sleep has long been more than just a personal problem. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have proposed, for the first time, a global concept, "One Sleep Health", which considers sleep in conjunction with climate, the environment, society, and animal health - opening up new avenues for prevention and health policy.
An increasing number of people are suffering from sleep deprivation, difficulty falling asleep, or interrupted sleep - with consequences for health, society, and the economy. An international research team involving the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine - Brain and Behaviour (INM-7) at Forschungszentrum Jülich is therefore calling for a fundamental rethink. In future, sleep should no longer be regarded merely as a personal health issue, but as a global health priority, they argue.
In the journal Cell Reports Medicine, the researchers present the "One Sleep Health" concept for the first time - a framework that links sleep health in humans with environmental factors and societal changes. The concept explicitly incorporates animal health: many factors that keep humans awake at night - such as artificial light, noise, heat, and altered daily rhythms - also affect the biological rhythms of animals. At the same time, disrupted sleep and activity patterns in animals can, in turn, have an impact on humans and entire ecosystems. The new approach expands the established "One Health" principle - which considers the health of humans, animals, and the environment as a whole - to include the often-overlooked role of sleep.
The "One Health" principle
The "One Health" principle is based on the idea that the health of humans, animals, and the environment is closely intertwined. The "One" is intended to convey a sense of togetherness, reflecting a holistic approach to health.
The concept originally emerged in the context of infectious diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. Today, the approach is understood more broadly: environmental changes, societal developments, and diseases rarely occur in isolation but instead affect entire ecosystems. The new "One Sleep Health" approach extends this principle to include sleep health for the first time.
"Sleep is not merely a private matter, but a fundamental prerequisite for health, performance, and societal resilience," says Dr. Masoud Tahmasian from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7) at Forschungszentrum Jülich and lead author of the study. "However, our modern environment is increasingly moving away from the biological conditions under which healthy sleep is possible."
Climate, light, and chronic stress affect sleep
In their perspective article, the researchers describe a "silent epidemic" of poor sleep health. They attribute this to the interplay of numerous influences to which a person is exposed over their lifetime - the "exposome". These include the physical exposome, with factors such as rising temperatures due to climate change as well as light, air, and noise pollution; the social exposome, with influences such as shift work, constant digital availability, and social inequality; and the lifestyle exposome, with factors such as stress, lack of exercise, poor dietary habits, and the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
Studies show that rising night-time temperatures could reduce sleep duration worldwide. Projections suggest that people could lose between 50 and 58 hours of sleep annually by the end of the century. Poor sleep is therefore becoming not only an individual health risk but also a challenge for societies, economies, and healthcare systems worldwide.
Poor sleep places a strain on brain, body, and economy
The consequences of poor sleep health extend far beyond tiredness. The article summarizes numerous scientific findings linking sleep deprivation to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety disorders, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
An estimated one third of the global population suffers from sleep problems or sleep disorders. An international analysis cited in the article puts the economic cost of poor sleep in five industrialized countries at up to US$ 680 billion per year - due to factors such as sickness absence, reduced productivity, and higher healthcare costs.
The new approach therefore frames good sleep as a societal resource - a concept the researchers term "sleep capital". This refers to the health, social, and economic benefits that result from sufficient and high-quality sleep.
Greater emphasis on sleep in policy and urban planning
According to the research team, sleep must be given greater consideration in future health strategies, education, the workplace, and urban planning. Among the measures proposed are better sleep education in schools, more sleep-friendly working hours, reduced light and noise pollution in cities, and international programmes to promote sleep health.
The researchers also argue that research itself must take a more interdisciplinary approach. The "One Sleep Health" approach brings together neuroscience, medicine, environmental research, psychology, epidemiology, and veterinary science. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how the environment and society influence sleep - and how sleep, in turn, affects health and well-being.
"We need a global perspective on sleep health," says Tahmasian. "Good sleep doesn't just happen in the bedroom; it is also shaped by our cities, our workplaces, and our environment - and therefore by political decisions."
Original Publication
Tahmasian, M., Küppers, V., Genon, S., Eickhoff, S.B., Golombek, D.A. & Ibanez, A. Elevating sleep to a global health priority: The One Sleep Health framework. Cell Rep Med 7, 102828 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2026.102828
