RE: LeoThread 2025-06-28 06:44
You are viewing a single comment's thread:
Recent travel yielded sleep scores in the 90s, but since returning to San Francisco they have consistently dropped into the 70s or 80s.
0
0
0.000
It appears that traffic noise from a nearby road or intersection—where vehicles like cars, trucks, buses, and motorcycles pass every ten minutes, some significantly louder than others—is impacting sleep quality.
During lighter sleep stages, disturbances are more likely to cause awakening and make it harder to return to sleep.
This experience underscores a broader issue where early-morning noise pollution may impose a substantial, often overlooked societal cost.
For example, a single motorcycle rumbling through a neighborhood at 6 a.m. might lead to millions in economic damages through widespread grogginess, mood changes, reduced creativity and energy, and long-term health effects such as
cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive issues.
Many individuals might remain unaware of these impacts because they do not monitor their sleep closely, and the brain in those early moments of awakening may not form a lasting memory of the disturbance.
Moreover, the problem extends beyond traffic noise. In some locations, regulations permit loud road work or construction from 7 a.m., as well as the use of other high-decibel activities like leaf blowing.
Deep research sessions and various studies have identified a strong correlation between noisy environments and negative outcomes, including increased risks for mental health issues (such as depression, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer’s) and
a range of physical ailments like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
After testing several mitigation strategies without success, a move to a quieter area seems necessary.
This situation highlights a significant public health challenge that remains largely unrecognized and inadequately addressed by current government policies.