Associations of Various Nighttime Noise Exposure Indicators with Objective Sleep Efficiency and Self-Reported Sleep Quality: A Field Study

Martin Röösli, Mark Brink, Franziska Rudzik, Christian Cajochen, Martina S. Ragettli, Benjamin Flückiger, Reto Pieren, Danielle Vienneau and Jean-Marc Wunderli
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Martin Röösli: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
Mark Brink: Federal Office for the Environment, 3003 Bern, Switzerland
Franziska Rudzik: Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Christian Cajochen: Centre for Chronobiology, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
Martina S. Ragettli: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
Benjamin Flückiger: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
Reto Pieren: Empa, Laboratory for Acoustics/Noise Control, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
Danielle Vienneau: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
Jean-Marc Wunderli: Empa, Laboratory for Acoustics/Noise Control, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-13

Abstract: It is unclear which noise exposure time window and noise characteristics during nighttime are most detrimental for sleep quality in real-life settings. We conducted a field study with 105 volunteers wearing a wrist actimeter to record their sleep during seven days, together with concurrent outdoor noise measurements at their bedroom window. Actimetry-recorded sleep latency increased by 5.6 min (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6 to 9.6 min) per 10 dB(A) increase in noise exposure during the first hour after bedtime. Actimetry-assessed sleep efficiency was significantly reduced by 2%–3% per 10 dB(A) increase in measured outdoor noise (L eq, 1h ) for the last three hours of sleep. For self-reported sleepiness, noise exposure during the last hour prior to wake-up was most crucial, with an increase in the sleepiness score of 0.31 units (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.54) per 10 dB(A) L eq,1h . Associations for estimated indoor noise were not more pronounced than for outdoor noise. Taking noise events into consideration in addition to equivalent sound pressure levels (L eq ) only marginally improved the statistical models. Our study provides evidence that matching the nighttime noise exposure time window to the individual’s diurnal sleep–wake pattern results in a better estimate of detrimental nighttime noise effects on sleep. We found that noise exposure at the beginning and the end of the sleep is most crucial for sleep quality.

Keywords: sleep quality; road traffic noise; actimetry; indoor noise; noise measurements; noise annoyance; noise sensitivity; time of day (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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