Russian drone strikes are disrupting sleep and adding to stress across Ukraine. Doctors warn the effects could cause lasting health problems.
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Night after night, the threat returns, and for millions of Ukrainians, sleep disappears
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with it. Drone strikes are a near-constant part of life in cities like Kiev and Dnipro
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And now, doctors say the mental toll is deepening, as a growing number of Ukrainians are turning
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to medication just to cope. Nearly half of all Ukrainians are now showing signs of mental health strain
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That's according to the World Health Organization. and sleep, or the lack of it, is at the center of the problem
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Ukrainian officials say Russia stepped up its drone attacks, sending swarms of Shahid-type drones into civilian areas, often at night
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The noise, explosions, and repeated air raid alarms are turning bedrooms into shelters and hallways into bunkers
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These drones fly low and loud and often come in waves. Even when air defenses intercept them, the alerts still shatter sleep
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Millions of people lie awake, waiting for the buzzing to stop. Doctors say this nightly disruption is breaking sleep cycles and weakening immune systems
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They're seeing more cases of insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Children are showing signs too
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Tremors, fatigue, and a kind of fear that doesn't go away. And over time researchers say the risks only grow A 2022 study published in Review Neurologic links chronic sleep deprivation to PTS cognitive dysfunction seizures and long illnesses like diabetes and heart disease
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In 2024, antidepressant sales in Ukraine jumped 46%, according to one of the country's largest drug distributors
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But even with that spike, usage still trails much of Europe. A 2023 study found Ukrainians were using some antidepressants up to 18 times less than people in Norway
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Experts say that's due to stigma, cost, and underdiagnosis. And for many, medical care isn't the first line of defense. Adaptation is
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Some families sleep in corridors or bathrooms. Others keep tourniquets and medical kits by the door
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One neurologist in Kiev calls it survival when evacuation is not an option
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But the fatigue is building. One Kiev resident told United24 Media she moved her bed into the hallway after a drone strike in her neighborhood killed a teenage girl
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Doctors warn unless these patterns change, Ukraine could face a long wave of psychiatric and neurological illness, especially among children, veterans and refugees
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The World Health Organization says addressing mental health during wartime is as urgent as physical aid
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And in Ukraine, both are under strain. For more of our unbiased Straight Fact reporting, download the Straight Arrow News app today
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