Sleep disturbance from road traffic noise– field studies on the influence of access to quietness

摘要

Socio-acoustic surveys were carried out within the research programme “Soundscape Support to Health” to assess sleep disturbances and other health effects of various soundscapes in residential areas. It was hypothesised that having access to a quiet side outside bedroom windows enhances recoveryrnand decreases sleep disturbances related to noise. The dwellings in the different study sites chosen werernexposed to different sound levels from road traffic noise ranging from about Laeq,22-06h 37 to 61 dB outsidernbedroom windows. The study involved 956 individuals. Half of them lived in dwellings with bedroomrnwindows facing a quieter side and the other half had bedroom windows facing the most exposed side of therndwelling. A verbal category scale on frequency and degree of disturbance was used for evaluation of sleeprndisturbances due to road traffic noise (ability to sleep with bedroom windows slightly open, falling asleep,rnawakenings and sleep quality). Sleep quality was also evaluated by questions without reference to roadrntraffic noise. The studies confirm previous findings of a relationship between sleep quality and individualrnfactors such as state of health, psychological and physiological wellbeing and age, as well as perceivedrnnoise-induced sleep disturbances. The results show a strong relationship between sleep disturbances due to road traffic noise and demonstrate a large benefit from having access to a bedroom that faces a quiet side. The threshold for reported noise-induced sleep disturbances found in this study was a sound level outside bedroom windows 2 m from the fa?ade Laeq,22-06 42-46 dB (windows slightly open).