The quality of sleep and the nature of a person's dreams are influenced by the following factors: temperature, smells, light, physical comfort and sounds. Do you sleep soundly or soundly at night – it does not matter, because any sounds can affect your sleep and, consequently, health. The influence of sounds on sleep can be both favorable and unfavorable – the nature of the influence determines the type of noise, personal preference, noise level and other factors. Estet-portal.com will tell you how sounds affect sleep, and also tell you how to limit their negative impact and use sounds for a good sleep.

The effect of sounds on sleep – what disturbs sleep

Sounds that a person does not pay attention to while awake can disturb sleep at night. It doesn't matter if you wake up or not – the brain perceives various kinds of noise and reacts accordingly, as a result of which sleep cycles also undergo changes.

Potential sources of sleep-disturbing sounds:

  • household appliances;
  • TVs;
  • pets;
  • partners;
  • thunderstorm;
  • traffic;
  • street noise.

Study published in the journal Noise and Health ("Noise and Health"), indicates a link between environmental noise during sleep and cardiovascular disease; it is also suggested that even low-level noise, interfering with healthy sleep, can cause health problems.

Effect of noise level on sleep (according to WHO):

Noise level in dB

Sample sounds

Influence on sleep

˂ 30dB:

Normal breathing, whispering, clock ticking, quiet countryside.

Little or no effect on most people's sleep.

30–40 dB:

 

 

Whispers in the silence of the room, birdsong, slight noise in the offices.

Possible awakening, body movements, sleep disturbances. The most sensitive to such sounds are children and the elderly.

40–55 dB:

Rain, refrigerator, air conditioner.

There is an effect on the health of most people.

˃ 55 dB:

Speaks louder, background music, washing machine and louder sounds.

Considered to be a hazardous noise level for human health: increases irritability, leads to sleep disturbances, possible risk of cardiovascular disease.

At the same time:

  • the intensity and severity of the effect of sounds on sleep is individual;
  • sound tolerance is affected by brain rhythms;
  • as a rule, people wake up from the sounds in the second phase of sleep;
  • Children and the elderly are the most affected by sounds to sleep;
  • emotional sounds have the strongest impact (crying baby, spoken name of the sleeping person, etc.).

The effect of sounds on sleep – noises to improve sleep

The effect of sounds on sleep is not limited to negative effects. For example, white noise can promote more restful sleep. "Soft" rain sounds – also a good option for people who want to improve the quality of their sleep. It's amazing how slight changes in background sounds can affect the ability of the human body to fall into a healthy sleep!

White noise has a beneficial effect on the child's going to bed. In addition, white noise masks potentially sleep-damaging external sounds and helps your baby sleep longer. Another advantage of white noise for children's sleep is that the child gets used to sleeping with such sounds and over time it becomes easier for him to fall asleep as soon as he hears them.

Controlling the effect of sounds on sleep: unpleasant – eliminate, useful – use

Some sleep-disturbing sounds are simply impossible to get rid of, but there are some steps you can take to reduce noise pollution:

  • use a recording of white noise, this could be a running fan, air conditioner, or other soothing sound; however, remember that it should not be too loud – 50–65 dB max;
  • Use the washing machine and/or dishwasher well before bedtime;
  • put large cabinets (for example, bookcases) against the wall bordering the neighboring apartment – they will help soften the sounds; 
  • Turn off TVs before going to bed, don't fall asleep to movies on your computer;
  • turn off or reduce the volume of sounds on your phone to a minimum;
  • if your roommate snores, use ear plugs; in case of sleep apnea, it is necessary to take the snorer to the doctor;
  • try to put the beds away from the walls (to hear the neighbors less);
  • plug up cracks in windows and doors;
  • To limit the negative impact of sounds on sleep when moving and flying, take ear plugs or headphones with you.

Healthy sleep is necessary for the health of the body. And you are quite capable of providing yourself with a proper rest – minimize distractions, including the negative impact of sounds on sleep, adjust the temperature that is comfortable for your body, remove all light sources that also prevent the brain from resting and engage in nightly activities that are extremely beneficial for the whole body. Sleep soundly and well with estet-portal.com!

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