Israeli scientists detect upswings in heart rate and stress and less sleep, especially in southern residents, during 2021 Operation Guardian of the Walls.
Tel Aviv University (TAU) researchers used smartwatches and a special application to test how much Israelis living in the South facing the Gaza Strip suffered from greater physiological harm during the IDF’s Operation Guardian of the Walls in the summer of 2021.
During the operation, the researchers equipped southern residents with smartwatches and the app. The unique study showed that they experienced changes in each of the objective indicators of well-being that were monitored. They spent more time looking at their cellphone screens; the number of their steps decreased; their average heart rate fell; their time without movement and their wake time during sleep increased; and their bedtime was delayed.
At the same time, a deterioration was seen in all of the subjective indicators reported by the participants using the app – their mood worsened; their stress level increased; their number of social gatherings dropped; they spent less time playing sports; their sleep duration was reduced; and their quality of sleep deteriorated.
