Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs

There is an ample number of laboratory and field studies which provide sufficient evidence that aircraft noise disturbs sleep and, depending on traffic volume and noise levels, may impair behavior and well-being during the day. Although clinical sleep disorders have been shown to be associated with...

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Main Authors: Mathias Basner, Barbara Griefahn, Martin van den Berg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-01-01
Series:Noise and Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2010;volume=12;issue=47;spage=95;epage=109;aulast=Basner
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author Mathias Basner
Barbara Griefahn
Martin van den Berg
author_facet Mathias Basner
Barbara Griefahn
Martin van den Berg
author_sort Mathias Basner
collection DOAJ
description There is an ample number of laboratory and field studies which provide sufficient evidence that aircraft noise disturbs sleep and, depending on traffic volume and noise levels, may impair behavior and well-being during the day. Although clinical sleep disorders have been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, only little is known about the long-term effects of aircraft noise disturbed sleep on health. National and international laws and guidelines try to limit aircraft noise exposure facilitating active and passive noise control to prevent relevant sleep disturbances and its consequences. Adopting the harmonized indicator of the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC, the WHO Night Noise Guideline for Europe (NNG) defines four Lnight , outside ranges associated with different risk levels of sleep disturbance and other health effects ( < 30, 30-40, 40-55, and> 55 dBA). Although traffic patterns differing in number and noise levels of events that lead to varying degrees of sleep disturbance may result in the same Lnight , simulations of nights with up to 200 aircraft noise events per night nicely corroborate expert opinion guidelines formulated in WHO′s NNG. In the future, large scale field studies on the effects of nocturnal (aircraft) noise on sleep are needed. They should involve representative samples of the population including vulnerable groups like children and chronically ill subjects. Optimally, these studies are prospective in nature and examine the long-term consequences of noise-induced sleep disturbances. Furthermore, epidemiological case-control studies on the association of nocturnal (aircraft) noise exposure and cardiovascular disease are needed. Despite the existing gaps in knowledge on long-term health effects, sufficient data are available for defining limit values, guidelines and protection concepts, which should be updated with the availability of new data.
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spelling doaj.art-1039a7b2ab524b5fbfd643239ade29372022-12-21T21:43:38ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsNoise and Health1463-17411998-40302010-01-0112479510910.4103/1463-1741.63210Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needsMathias BasnerBarbara GriefahnMartin van den BergThere is an ample number of laboratory and field studies which provide sufficient evidence that aircraft noise disturbs sleep and, depending on traffic volume and noise levels, may impair behavior and well-being during the day. Although clinical sleep disorders have been shown to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, only little is known about the long-term effects of aircraft noise disturbed sleep on health. National and international laws and guidelines try to limit aircraft noise exposure facilitating active and passive noise control to prevent relevant sleep disturbances and its consequences. Adopting the harmonized indicator of the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC, the WHO Night Noise Guideline for Europe (NNG) defines four Lnight , outside ranges associated with different risk levels of sleep disturbance and other health effects ( < 30, 30-40, 40-55, and> 55 dBA). Although traffic patterns differing in number and noise levels of events that lead to varying degrees of sleep disturbance may result in the same Lnight , simulations of nights with up to 200 aircraft noise events per night nicely corroborate expert opinion guidelines formulated in WHO′s NNG. In the future, large scale field studies on the effects of nocturnal (aircraft) noise on sleep are needed. They should involve representative samples of the population including vulnerable groups like children and chronically ill subjects. Optimally, these studies are prospective in nature and examine the long-term consequences of noise-induced sleep disturbances. Furthermore, epidemiological case-control studies on the association of nocturnal (aircraft) noise exposure and cardiovascular disease are needed. Despite the existing gaps in knowledge on long-term health effects, sufficient data are available for defining limit values, guidelines and protection concepts, which should be updated with the availability of new data.http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2010;volume=12;issue=47;spage=95;epage=109;aulast=BasnerNoisesleepawakeningarousalhealthtrafficperformance
spellingShingle Mathias Basner
Barbara Griefahn
Martin van den Berg
Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
Noise and Health
Noise
sleep
awakening
arousal
health
traffic
performance
title Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
title_full Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
title_fullStr Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
title_full_unstemmed Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
title_short Aircraft noise effects on sleep: Mechanisms, mitigation and research needs
title_sort aircraft noise effects on sleep mechanisms mitigation and research needs
topic Noise
sleep
awakening
arousal
health
traffic
performance
url http://www.noiseandhealth.org/article.asp?issn=1463-1741;year=2010;volume=12;issue=47;spage=95;epage=109;aulast=Basner
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AT barbaragriefahn aircraftnoiseeffectsonsleepmechanismsmitigationandresearchneeds
AT martinvandenberg aircraftnoiseeffectsonsleepmechanismsmitigationandresearchneeds