Four Health Studies Highlight Sleep, Indoor Air, Pet Ownership, and Temperature Effects

More than a third of U.S. adults (38%) say using their phone or tablet to read the news before bed is making their sleep slightly or significantly worse, according to a new poll from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Only 14% of Americans say they never use their devices to read the news at bedtime, the survey found.

Blue light, especially when combined with emotionally charged content, can trick our body clocks into a state of daytime-level alertness, disrupting the circadian rhythm and making it more difficult to achieve high-quality sleep. The survey found that about a quarter of adults (26%) prioritize screen time with their phone more highly than getting their recommended amount of sleep. One-half of adults (50%) said they use a screen in bed every day, be it a TV, smartphone, computer, tablet or e-reader. Another third (33%) use a screen most days or several days a week.

Younger adults 25-34 (43%), those 35-44 (39%), and middle-aged folks (38%) were most likely to report that doomscrolling affects their sleep. On the other hand, 31% of seniors said doomscrolling had no effect on their sleep, while just 23% said it makes their sleep worse. In all, 2,007 U.S. adults were surveyed June 5-13, 2025. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Clean, well-circulated indoor air can reduce asthma attacks among adults, a new study says. Fans and air purifiers are essential for reducing the risk of flare-ups at home, researchers recently reported in the journal Atmosphere. In particular, good ventilation and exhaust systems in kitchen and bathrooms help protect asthma sufferers from attacks, researchers found.

Researchers analyzed data on nearly 1,600 Texas adults with asthma who participated in a survey between 2019 and 2022. Results showed that people were more likely to have asthma attacks, frequent symptoms and trouble sleeping or staying active if they didn't use air purifiers or smoked cigarettes. People living in homes without mold, furry pets, mice or rats had fewer asthma problems, the study says. Adults spend as much as 90% of their time indoors, where the air can actually be dirtier than it is outdoors.

The latest University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging found that 83% of pet owners age 50 and older feel their animals give them a sense of purpose. This is a notable jump from 2018, when 73% reported the same. In all, 70% said their pets help them stay connected to other people.

Despite these emotional wins, the cost of cuddles is climbing. In all, 31% of older pet owners said their budgets are strained by animal care, nearly double the 18% who reported financial pressure seven years ago. Among seniors who do not have pets, one-third (33%) cited high costs as the main reason. The poll also highlighted a shift in how pets help with health. Fewer owners today (34%) say their pets help them manage physical or mental symptoms compared to 2018 (60%).

The poll included a nationally representative sample of 2,698 U.S. adults between 50 and 95 years of age. They were surveyed by phone and online in September 2025. The margin of error is plus or minus 1 to 3 percentage points for questions asked of the full sample.

A study from Griffith University in Australia found that adults 65 and older were less likely to show stress-related changes in their heart when their bedroom temperature was kept at 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) overnight, as compared to higher temperatures. That's considerably warmer than the below-70-degree thermostat settings many sleep experts recommend for best slumber.

For individuals aged 65 years and over, maintaining overnight bedroom temperatures at 24 degrees C reduced the likelihood of experiencing heightened stress responses during sleep. When the human body is exposed to heat, its normal physiological response is to increase the heart rate. The heart is working harder to try and circulate blood to the skin surface for cooling.

To understand how bedroom temperature affects sleep in everyday life, researchers tracked older adults over an Australian summer. Participants wore fitness trackers on their non-dominant wrist to measure heart activity during sleep. At the same time, temperature sensors placed in their bedrooms recorded overnight conditions. The data showed that warmer bedrooms were linked to higher heart rates and signs of stress during sleep. While there are guidelines for maximum daytime indoor temperature, 26 degrees C, there are no equivalent recommendations for nighttime conditions.