Research shows that aircraft noise disrupts the sleep-wake cycle

Night noise from aircraft is linked to disrupted sleep quality and sleep-wake cycles, according to a new study using motion trackers.

Environmental health experts from the University of Leicester combined measurements from activity monitors and self-reported sleep information for the first time to provide a more detailed picture of the impact of aircraft noise on sleep, in the largest such study to date.

The results, published in Environmental health perspectivesshow that people exposed to higher levels of nighttime aircraft noise experienced more restlessness during sleep and disruption of daily sleep rhythms, even if they had slept a full night. The paper is titled “Associations between aircraft noise, sleep and sleep-wake cycle: actimetric data from the UK Biobank cohort near four major airports.”

The team was led by the University of Leicester’s Center for Environmental Health and Sustainability and involved university hospitals at Leicester NHS Trust, University College London, Imperial College London and City St George’s, University of London.

They used the UK Biobank cohort study, a large British study originally designed to investigate the links between genes and diseases, to identify and analyze data from more than 80,000 people living near four major airports (London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham) lived in England. .

Recruitment for the study was unrelated to airports or interest in aircraft noise, so the study is unlikely to reflect people who already had concerns about aircraft noise.

To measure sleep, the researchers used wearable devices (similar in size to a watch) that tracked movements during sleep, a method called actimetry. Actimetry data was collected from approximately 20% of the participants between 2013 and 2015. In addition, they used responses to questionnaires collected between 2006 and 2013, in which people reported on their sleep quality, how long they slept and whether they napped during the day. .

Lead author Xiangpu Gong, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leicester, said: “We used information from both wearable devices that track movements during sleep and self-reported questionnaires to get a more comprehensive picture of sleep. The wearable devices provided objective data about how restful sleep was and sleep patterns, while questionnaires helped us understand how people felt about their sleep.”

The aircraft noise each person was exposed to was estimated using noise maps prepared by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The maps show how loud the aircraft noise was in 2011 (in decibel dB) in the vicinity of the airports and this was matched with the participants’ place of residence.

The sleep of those exposed to higher noise levels, defined as a nightly average of 55 dB or more, was compared with those exposed to less than 45 dB. The analyzes took into account other factors that may influence sleep, such as age, gender, ethnicity, income, physical activity and environmental conditions.

Higher levels of nighttime aircraft noise (55 dB or more) were associated with more movement during sleep, which is a sign of sleep disruption. Participants exposed to high noise levels also showed disrupted sleep-wake cycles, meaning their daily sleep rhythms were less regular. This despite the fact that the total time they spent in bed did not differ much.

Xiangpu added: “Our study suggests that nighttime aircraft noise was associated with more restless sleep and disrupted sleep-wake cycles, indicating a link between nighttime aircraft noise exposure and sleep disruption. Worse sleep patterns, measured by actimetry, have been associated with higher risk of mental health problems, conditions such as diabetes and obesity and with mortality risk.

“The key message for the public is that increased nighttime aircraft noise is associated with disturbed sleep quality, even if people don’t realize it. Sleep disruption can have long-term health effects, so it is important that policies tackle the problems and reduce aircraft noise pollution.”

Anna Hansell, professor of environmental epidemiology at the University of Leicester, led the research. Professor Hansell said: “This study is different because it is one of the largest on this topic and combines sleep data from wearable devices with self-reported sleep information. Most previous studies have relied on people’s self-reports of their sleep, which can sometimes be inaccurate due to a bad memory.

“In contrast, actimetry, which uses devices to track sleep, does not require people to remember how they slept, providing a more objective measure of sleep.

“Interestingly, although we found evidence that nighttime aircraft noise was associated with poorer sleep (increased movement and disrupted sleep-wake cycles), as measured by actimetric devices, the length of time people slept did not appear to be affected.

“It is concerning that the current pressure on airports to operate more night flights could result in increased night-time aircraft noise from aircraft, with potential consequences for sleep disruption and ultimately health.”