Londoners living near airports are more likely to experience disturbed sleep due to aircraft noise, a study has found.
Researchers at the University of Leicester combined measurements from activity monitors and self-reported sleep information to create a detailed picture of how aircraft noise impacts sleep.
They analysed data from over 80,000 people living near four major airports - London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.
Participants wore devices that tracked movement and then answered questionnaires on their quality of sleep.
The aircraft noise each person was exposed to was estimated using noise maps created by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. These showed how loud the aircraft noise was in decibels in 2011 in areas around the airports, which were matched to the areas where the participants lived.
Researchers compared participants who were exposed to a night-time average of 55 decibels (dB) of noise or more with those exposed to less than 45 dB.
They found that people exposed to higher levels of night-time aircraft noise experienced more restlessness during sleep and disruption in daily sleep rhythm, even if they had a full night's sleep.
Participants exposed to high levels of noise also showed disrupted sleep-wake cycles, meaning their daily sleep rhythm was less regular – despite the fact that the total time they spent in bed was not much different.
Lead author Xiangpu Gong, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Leicester, said: “Our study suggests that night-time aircraft noise was associated with more restless sleep and disrupted sleep-wake cycles, suggestive of a link between night-time aircraft noise exposure and sleep disturbance. Poorer sleep patterns, as measured by actimetry, have been associated with higher risk of mental health problems, conditions like diabetes and obesity and with mortality risk.
"The key message for the public is that higher night-time aircraft noise was linked with disturbed sleep quality, even if people didn't realize it. Sleep disturbance could have long-term effects on health, so it's important for policies to address and reduce noise pollution from airplanes."
The team was led by the University of Leicester's Center for Environmental Health and Sustainability and involved University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, University College London, Imperial College London and City St George's, University of London.
Heathrow last week appointed construction firm Kier to install noise insulation measures in about 20,000 homes around the airport’s residential areas.
It comes as part of an eight-year programme to reduce noise generated by aircraft traffic.
