Health
Sleep doctors say Olympic athletes’ cardboard beds could have 'disastrous' impact
Athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics are sleeping on cardboard bed frames for the second summer games in a row.
First introduced at Tokyo 2020, the cardboard beds have made a comeback as an environmentally friendly solution in the Olympic Village, according to reports.
The athletes can extend the beds to accommodate their size and can choose the firmness of the mattress, as shown in a video posted to the Olympics YouTube page.
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The sustainable beds, which are 100% made in France, will be fully recycled after the games, Olympic organizers have said.
Virginia-based neurologist Dr. Chris Winter, a sleep adviser for Mattress Firm and a sleep consultant for major-league sports teams in the U.S., reacted to the sleeping arrangements in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“I was not part of the French Olympic planning, but given the overall theme of the games as being ‘more responsible, more inclusive and more equal,’ I think the cardboard bed checks those boxes,” he said.
“For an Olympic swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast, to awaken with a tweak or catch in their back could be disastrous.”
Winter noted that past Olympic events have been associated with “tremendous amounts of waste.”
The cardboard beds are not only more economical, but also “much easier on the environment,” he said.
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“When the games are over, organizers are not tasked with what to do with thousands of real twin beds,” Winter said. “This creates significant cost savings, I imagine.”
Having the same beds also gives everyone a “performance advantage” when it comes to sleep, the expert noted.
“I’m sure the fact that they could more easily break if jumped on or if lots of athletes are on the bed is probably a plus, as an indirect way to control behavior,” he added.
“Plus, if an overzealous athlete throws theirs out the window, damage and risk is minimized.”
Potential health risks
While there are benefits to the cardboard solution, Winter stressed that these structures could pose some health risks for athletes.
“For an Olympic swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast to awaken with a tweak or catch in their back could be disastrous,” he said.
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“Lilly King missed a breaststroke medal by 1/100th of a second,” Winter noted. “Could a cardboard bed be to blame? Without a doubt,” he said, expressing his opinion.
A poor night’s sleep can even affect an athlete psychologically, the expert added.
Chafen Watkins Hart, M.D., sleep specialist at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, also weighed in on the importance of proper sleep for athletes.
“Getting used to a new environment, including a new bed, is daunting, especially with jet lag and the intensity of athletic competition,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Although the mattresses reportedly have been improved from the ones used in Tokyo, they are still “very firm,” according to Hart.
“In general, it appears that the materials are washable and reusable, which is the primary reason they are being employed for thousands of athletes in the village,” she said.
For some athletes, a mattress that is too firm can cause muscle soreness, she cautioned, while others may prefer firmness.
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Beyond the bed and mattress, Hart also noted that temperature and roommate considerations can also adversely affect athletes’ sleep.
“The rooms do not have air conditioning, and many athletes are supplementing with their own portable units,” she said.
“Sleeping in a hot, humid environment can be really disruptive and can increase the number of arousals [during the night] … and severity of insomnia.”
Many athletes may also get a random roommate assignment with someone who has different sleep habits.
“Someone who is a night owl will not love bunking with an early bird,” Hart said.
“Or someone used to sleeping in a silent, dark space may have trouble adjusting to a roommate who likes to play music and keep a light on.”
For a good night’s sleep, Winter advised athletes to bring their own pillows and attempt to keep the room cool.
He also suggested bringing items that remind them of home, such as a partner’s pillowcase, favorite nighttime tea, stuffed animals, sleep masks or posters.
“Getting that Parisian apartment to feel like home can be a great advantage,” he said.
Hart agreed, adding that familiar scents, calming music and chats with loved ones can help reduce anxiety about sleeping in a strange or uncomfortable place.
Fox News Digital reached out to the International Olympic Committee for comment.
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JD Vance promotes family in America amid birth rate drop, fueled by several factors
As former President Donald Trump continues to brush off any criticisms of his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s resurfaced comments from 2021 that “childless cat ladies” destroyed American values — with Trump emphasizing that adults without children are just as good as parents and that Vance strongly values family in his own life given his tumultuous upbringing — Americans are having fewer and fewer children.
Vance himself, the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, said his comments from three years ago were “radically” taken out of context by Democrats.
Describing himself as “pro-family,” he also told Fox News’ Trey Gowdy, host of “Sunday Night in America,” that he firmly believes “there are a whole host of people who don’t have children for a whole host of reasons, and they certainly are great people who can participate fully in the life of this country.”
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He said Democrats have become increasingly “anti-family” and “anti-parent” over the years as they cite climate change concerns as one reason not to have children.
Whatever the reasons, in April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the birth rate in America has dropped to a historic low, decreasing by 3% since 2022. The rate has been on a steady decline since 2014, except for a brief 1% increase from 2020 to 2021.
In recent years, the priorities of young Americans have been changing, including the desire to have children, the data suggests.
Experts say this drop-off could be caused by many factors — including a heightened focus on career goals, the cost of raising children, a priority on personal liberty and mental health, the fear of an uncertain future and growing fertility concerns.
Career comes first?
Kyle Elliott, a career coach and job search expert based in Santa Barbara, California, told Fox News Digital about a lack of interest in having children among working professionals.
“I am seeing a huge increase in the focus of careers among Americans,” he said.
“In the past, there were certain expectations in place — now, the path isn’t as predictable or expected.”
“They’re recognizing that it’s more challenging to balance work and life because their careers are taking up more time.”
Many Americans are working 50 to 60 hours per week, according to Elliott.
“Trying to balance that is a lot more difficult than it was 20, 10 or even five years ago,” he said.
Individuals who work extended hours are more likely to meet their career goals and earn more money, he said — so many find it “helpful” to forgo parenting commitments.
Company policies for parental leave and child care also come into play, Elliott said.
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While some American businesses have improved accommodations for new parents, the U.S. is “still far behind compared to other countries,” he said.
When employees return from maternity or paternity leave, they’re often still responsible for child care, Elliott noted, which can be “really difficult to balance.”
“I think it would benefit both the employee and the employer if organizations provided more accommodations, whether that’s child care or additional leave or more flexibility, such as remote work or work from anywhere,” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to better support parents,” he said, expressing his professional opinion.
Cost of childrearing
The cost of having a child can be daunting for some young Americans, as inflation remains high in many U.S. states, the Labor Department has reported.
A middle-income married couple with two children can expect to pay about $306,924 to raise a child born in 2023, according to data from Credit Karma.
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This estimate is based on a 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture study.
Cost factors include housing (about 30% of total expenses), food, child care and education, transportation, health care, clothing and other items.
Day care alone could cost up to $17,000 per year in some states, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
There could also be the added cost of saving for the child’s future, including college planning.
Dr. Michele Borba, a California-based educational psychologist and parenting expert, agreed that finances are a “huge factor” in terms of two working parents deciding to have a baby.
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“The cost of child care is unbelievably astronomical, and it’s unaffordable for a lot of parents,” she told Fox News Digital.
Years ago, “you had a nuclear family, or you had a mom who lived next door … and a lot of times, [people] don’t have that” now.
Changing culture and politics
The American family unit has shifted from earlier generations, as many couples are choosing to get married at older ages and limit the number of kids they have, if any, experts say.
Borba, author of “Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine,” emphasized an increased focus on mental health and the need for parents to be mentally strong to raise a child.
Many Americans do not have a secure support system to help raise a child, the psychologist noted, and single parenting is “even harder” for unmarried individuals.
A desire for personal freedom can also play a role in a decision not to have children, she noted.
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Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said he believes politics has played a role in people’s decisions to have children or not.
“Patients often cite their reasons as, ‘I don’t want to add to the carbon footprint’ or ‘I don’t want to contribute to overpopulation,’ while others feel great insecurity about the state of the world and say, ‘The world is too dangerous of a place to raise a child,’” he told Fox News Digital.
Among those “more moderate” politically, Alpert said, “they worry about what it would be like to raise a kid in the climate of pronouns, boys competing in girls’ sports, and boys and girls sharing locker rooms.”
Other people simply don’t feel the pressure to have kids as people once did, the psychologist noted.
“In the past, there were certain expectations in place — go to school, meet someone, get married, have kids. Now, the path isn’t as predictable or expected.”
Fear of the unknown
Many adults are also burdened by feelings of uncertainty about the future, Borba said, which can result in a “doom and gloom” perspective when considering whether to bring a human being into the world.
Some parents may ask themselves, “Is this the right kind of place to have a child?” or “Should I bring a human into this world when I don’t feel secure myself?”
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Parenting “isn’t as relaxed” as it used to be decades ago, when parents took more of a hands-off approach and there was less emphasis on accelerated development and hyper-safety, according to Borba.
Kids in previous generations had “a lot more free time, a lot more play,” Borba said.
“Those are things that aren’t part of our kids’ world right now, unfortunately. A lot of [prospective] parents are growing up in a fear-based world, and that’s impacting their decisions.”
Fertility obstacles
The chances of a woman experiencing fertility and pregnancy problems can be another deterrent to having children.
That’s according to Dr. Jillian LoPiano, a Miami-based OB-GYN and chief health officer at the reproductive telehealth platform Wisp, who told Fox News Digital that the health and cost implications of childbirth could cause couples to decide against becoming parents.
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The U.S. is currently experiencing a maternal mortality crisis, LoPiano said.
In 2021, the maternal death rate was 32 out of 100,000 births, which reportedly doubles and triples the current rates in other similarly resourced countries.
This could be due to the increase in maternal age, chronic health conditions and pregnancy-related health conditions that can appear at an “extreme age spectrum,” LoPiano said.
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“Lack of access to adequate prenatal care, health care costs and restrictive reproductive health care laws all contribute to poor outcomes,” she said.
Socioeconomic factors and other insecurities also play a role in the declining birth rate, LoPiano told Fox News Digital.
‘Should I have a baby?’
For couples who are on the fence about having a child, Borba encouraged them to use their best judgment.
“Nobody knows yourself better,” she said. “In the end, you know who you are and what you can give, so make the decision based on what’s best for your family and your child.”
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Borba suggested writing down the reasons in a journal and leaning on a trusted support system.
“If you want to stick to a decision, you need to be firm and understand your ‘why,’ which means you need to do a little reflective measure,” she advised.
Borba also emphasized the importance of being on the same page as your partner when it comes to having children.
If mental health is the main concern, she suggested seeking help from a provider who can help clarify the decision.
Long-term effects
Overall, Alpert said, it is natural for birth rates to “ebb and flow” over time.
“There’s probably no reason to be alarmed [by today’s declining birth rates],” he told Fox News Digital.
“A lot of [prospective] parents are growing up in a fear-based world, and that’s impacting their decisions.”
“That said, if there’s a significant decline, the proportion of the elderly population would increase relative to births, which could strain the health care system as more resources are put into medical care for the aging population.”
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There would also be fewer people entering the workforce and less spending, Alpert added — resulting in slower economic growth and potentially adversely affecting the Social Security system.
FOX Business’ Megan Henney contributed to this report.
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