A field investigation on associations between environmental noise and adolescent physiological sleep: An Equal-Life study

• There is a need for field studies incorporating objective measures of both noise and sleep. Within the EU project Equal-Life we performed an in-depth field study to investigate associations between nocturnal noise exposure and physiological sleep. Participants (n=109; 68 female) were adolescents/young adults (18-19 years) recruited from within the longitudinal birth cohort STARS, around Gothenburg, Sweden. The noise exposure and sleep of each subject was investigated for four consecutive nights, from Tuesday night to Saturday morning. Outdoor noise was measured with sound level meters mounted outside bedroom windows. Indoor noise measurements and audio recordings were made in the bedrooms. Sleep was measured with a headband (DREEM3) incorporating dry EEG electrodes. Questionnaires were administered every evening and morning, and included items on daytime activities, sleepiness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), sleep quality, sleep disturbance by noise, and the bedroom environment. Outdoor noise measurements were obtained for 465 days and nights. Nighttime levels ranged from 35.8 to 73.7 dB Lnight (mean±SD 47.6±5.5 dB Lnight). Twenty-four hour levels ranged from 39.5 to 69.1 dB LAEq,24h (mean±SD 51.3±5.4 dB LAEq,24h). Data analysis is ongoing, and results will be presented at the congress. We will determine associations between average noise levels (Lnight, and LAEq during the EEG-derived sleep period) and sleep structure. We will also determine acute effects of discrete noise events on sleep fragmentation including noise-induced awakenings and changes of sleep stage.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Environmental noise

Sleep

Field study

Adolescents

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)