People living in the centre of Manchester are facing a hidden health issue that could take years off their lives. That’s despite city centre residents typically being younger and more active.
Less than one in five people across the North think they get enough sleep, but experts tell us those living in the built-up heart of our city probably have it worse than the rest. Noise and light pollution add to the battle, and heat is also an issue, with forecasters expecting more scorching hot nights and repeats of last week’s heatwave in the coming years.
It’s a problem many take for granted when they live in the busiest and most lively parts of Manchester. But research shows that a lack of good quality sleep can disrupt our internal body clock, according to leading sleep expert Dr Michael Smith.
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He says shifts to that rhythm can ‘puts stress on the body’ that will lead to cardiovascular and metabolism problems — like heart disease and diabetes. The main disruptors for sleep are heat, noise, and light.
And, with the UK scraping by in its hottest heatwave ever recently — topping out at above 40C for the first time last week — the Manchester Evening News took a look at how those living in town can be impacted.
Why less than one in five say they get enough sleep
When you picture a good night’s sleep, it’s under a sea of stars, in a cool room, with minimum disruption. The evenings we’ve had recently in Manchester couldn’t be further from that.
According to YouGov polling, in March 2022, 18 percent of respondents said they got enough shut-eye, but this fell to 14 percent by the end of June. Conversely, those saying they only got six hours of sleep went up to 29 percent, just behind the most common answer of 31 percent.
Research from the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience suggests that the maintenance of regular sleep patterns and slow wave sleep may be associated with protection against changes in lipid metabolism pathways as a consequence of ageing, thus contributing to increased lifespan’. In plain English, that means keeping a regular sleep schedule helps our bodies break down fatty cells which can contribute to cholesterol build-up in our bloodstream, which brings a wave of medical woes like heart disease.
With recent weeks seeing the hottest ever temperatures in the UK, heat has certainly been a factor. But with heat comes people, who come with noise. People also need to move around, which means transport is operating — and that brings light.
Light pollution maps show Manchester city centre has some of the worst levels in the UK. Noise pollution charts also show that those living near big city thoroughfares — like Mancunian Way, Trinity Way, and Great Ancoats Street — face more sound at night, which can disturb sleep.
The rest is noise
High levels of noise can be one thing, but individual noises are far more disruptive for sleep compared to low-frequency ‘rumbles’, according to Dr Antonio Torija-Martinez, an expert in acoustic engineering at the University of Salford. Higher-pitched sounds are the ones we need to look out for.
He explains: “That aircraft or car or bike is always going to make more impactful noise than a highway in the background which has a low frequency rumble. Screams are going to be fairly high frequency — let’s say you are at home at night and everything is quiet, if someone starts shouting that’s going to be quite prominent.”
Screams are particularly distressing for people to hear out of the blue, says Dr Amina Albeyatti, a GP who specialises in women’s health. “If there’s a lot of noise — especially fearful noise, like shouting — they can be worrying,” she adds.
And that individual noise can be made worse by our minds if we live in an environment which is already irritating. So if you’ve got a fractious relationship with a neighbour who’s having an all-night rave, it’s going to impact your sleep far more than the speeding car over some cobbles.
Other issues can arise from where you sleep. With city centre living becoming a more popular option for families, Dr Albeyatti says she’s seeing more and more mothers sleeping on the settee because ‘people are a lot more congested, so [they] live in more cramped spaces’.
Why is poor sleep such a problem?
Dr Michael Smith is a researcher in Effects of Environmental Stressors on Sleep in Sweden, having previously studied at Salford University. His work focuses on the public health side of sleep, and the effects poor quality sleep can have on a person medically.
“Alongside heat, noise, and light, you also have air pollution in the city centre,” he explains. “They come hand in hand with noise next to major roads. All of these can, through so many different pathways, affect sleep.
“For light exposure too, light in the blue wavelengths suppresses melatonin which can make it harder to sleep. That can make it difficult to fall asleep. You also can have light during the night — there are some studies showing that can also adversely affect deep sleep and REM sleep.
“There's [also] evidence from both experimental and field work that shows that noise exposure both in short and long term at night has a bunch of negative effects. If this persists over a long time, like being next to a busy road, this can lead to development of disease.
“If sleep is impaired this can disrupt processes that can address things like cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. If you have someone speeding by on a motorbike, even if you do not wake up, it can shift sleep from deep to lighter sleep. That can prevent the resetting of the cardiovascular system which can lead to disease.”
Temperature is important — not being too hot or cold will always help, he adds — and so is humidity. The latest research shows that a humid environment can ‘exacerbate’ a warm room by impairing our bodies’ ability to sweat, Dr Smith explains.
And other emerging research say suggests that Mancunians might be at an even greater disadvantage compared to other city-dwellers — because of the lack of green space. “Something which increasingly looks like it is important is access to restorative environments in the daytime,” he explains. “That’s parks and trees and access to these environments in the day make you more relaxed and make it easier to sleep.”
All in all, though, one bad night’s sleep is not the end of the world. Scientists know that our bodies will naturally ‘recover sleep to a degree’, Dr Smith continues.
How to sleep better
The main thrust of advice is to reduce the amount of stress — that’s less light, less noise, and a comfortable temperature, according to Dr Smith. It’s also best to tackle each of these a little bit, rather than focusing on one and forgetting about others.
He says: “Addressing each one a little bit will have more benefit than addressing one completely and leaving the others. One thing we always say is to have good (sleep) hygiene. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the time — but that’s not always possible with certain professions.
“It’s even more important to make sure the sleep you get is as protected as possible. Make your room like a bat cave, make it as dark as can be and as quiet as can be and make it a comfortable temperature.”
In terms of noise, Dr Torija-Martinez has some bad news. Throwing up a pair of curtains won’t stop that shouting match from coming inside.
He explains: “It’s not just noise — it’s reducing the transmission of noise from outside to inside in that case the main point of transmission is the window. What you need is to get your window well fixed, so there’s no point of transmission.
“A double window, well sealed, will be really, really good at minimising transmission.”
So check how well fitted your windows are — and report them to your landlord if they are loose or broken, or get an expert in if you own your flat. There are simpler measures you can take that will have a material benefit, however, as Dr Albeyatti recommends.
She says: “Anything that betters your health you need to be mindful about. Using sedative mediation is not the option. Are you getting in a warm, clean, and safe bed?
“If you can, invest in a proper bed. A lot of people are disrupted by their partners' bad night’s sleep. You ideally want to be somewhere warm, but not too warm, in the same bed that’s comfortable. It’s good to associate your bedroom just as a place for sleep and sex.”
It’s also important to stay active — because those people with ‘cardiovascular disease, COPD, and breathing issues have massive problems (with sleep), the doctor adds. It’s also a good idea to cut down on booze and quit smoking.
Experts will also advise you to reduce screen-time, especially just before bed, as blue light can play havoc with your brain. Social media can also stimulate our brains and make it harder for us to get to sleep. But once we do get in a good rhythm of sleep, it will get easier.
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