Nocturnal road traffic noise and sleep: Day-by-day variability assessed by actigraphy and sleep logs during a one week sampling. Preliminary findings

摘要

The impact of nocturnal road traffic noise on sleep has been well documented over the past 30 years (Job 1988; Muzet 2007; Griefahn & Spreng 2004). Given the complexity of the different domains involved - sleep, noise and the individual perception - the need for further evaluation and consolidation of results still persists. To protect people against sleep disturbances and to enhance general quality of life, the World Health Organization (Berglund et al. 2000) recommend a maximum sound level of 30 dB (L_(Aeq, 22-06)) indoor for continuous background noise with individual noise events not exceeding 45 dB(A). Those recommendations have been adopted and implemented in the Brussels Capital area with a noise management plan which was created and elaborated by the Brussels Institute for Management of the Environment (BIME). Brussels, the capital of Belgium, faces the typical issues of large cities with cultural, social and recreational programs embedded in a growing economy. A survey conducted by BIME revealed that 73% of the Brussels inhabitants consider noise as one of the most annoying factors of environmental pollution in their city, with road traffic noise being the strongest annoying source (www.ibgebim.be). The BIME worked out an acoustic map of the city including the specific black spots of diurnal and nocturnal road traffic noise. The need for complementary, longitudinal field studies, which assess the real life impact of road traffic noise on sleep and general well being, is needed for a better understanding of the complexity of these issues and to provide local support for the current noise management plan.