Noise Pollution, Sleep and Sleep Disorders
By Tia Chopra
In urban and industrialized areas, noise pollution has grown to be a serious problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented seven categories of adverse health and social effects of noise pollution, and one among them is sleep disturbances. Sleep is a dynamic, complex process that is vital for improving both mental and physical health. Sleep is divided into several stages, such as the rapid eye movement (REM) and the non-rapid eye movement (NREM).
Changes to the way these sleep stages naturally progress can have profound effects on a person's health and overall wellbeing. Several studies have shown that noise pollution has an adverse impact on the quality of sleep. The immune system's stress response is triggered by noise exposure while you sleep, which causes the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
The natural progression of sleep stages can be interrupted by this physiological arousal, which also results in changes in breathing patterns, blood pressure, and heart rate. There are different kinds of sleep disorders that can result from the adverse effects of noise pollution on sleep. Insomnia is an increasingly prevalent sleep disorder linked to noise pollution. Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or experiencing nonrestorative sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is another sleep disorder associated with noise pollution. In OSA, the upper airway becomes partially or completely blocked during sleep, causing interruptions in breathing and disrupted sleep. Noise pollution can make OSA worse by increasing the frequency and duration of breathing interruptions during sleep. Noise's disruptive effects on sleep can exacerbate the symptoms of upper airway resistance syndrome and snoring, two other sleep-related breathing disorders.
Others include sleep disorders that have been linked to noise pollution, such as periodic limb movement disorder, parasomnias, and restless legs syndrome can also have adverse effects on human health. On an individual level, we can take a step forward to understand noise pollution and its adverse effects on human health. Adopting noise-reducing practices in our daily lives can minimize noise pollution. This involves being mindful of noise levels during household activities, such as using quieter appliances, avoiding unnecessary honking while driving, practicing responsible use of personal electronic devices, keeping volumes at minimal levels and using headphones in shared spaces, etc.
Further Reading:
Halpérin, D. (2014). Environmental noise and sleep disturbances: A threat to health? Sleep Science, 7(4), 209–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.slsci.2014.11.003
Kim, M., Chang, S. I., Seong, J. C., Holt, J. B., Park, T. H., Ko, J. H., & Croft, J. B. (2012). Road traffic noise. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(4), 353–360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.06.014
Moghadam, S. R., Tizabi, M. N. L., Khanjani, N., Emkani, M., Manesh, V. T., Mohammadi, A. A., Delkhosh, M. B., & Najafi, H. (2018). Noise pollution and sleep disturbance among Neyshabur Hospital staff, Iran (2015). Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology, 7(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.29252/johe.7.1.53
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