The characteristics of a person's neighborhood may play a role in their sleep quality, according to recent research and expert opinion. Factors ranging from ambient noise to the visual landscape of a community could interfere with restfulness, impacting sleep duration and insomnia symptoms.
Nutritionist Erin Palinski-Wade highlighted that household surroundings and neighborhood conditions can directly affect sleep. High-noise environments, such as those near busy city streets, can disrupt sleep patterns. She suggests that individuals in such areas might benefit from using a white noise machine to help cancel out environmental sounds. Additionally, Palinski-Wade recommends measures like using blackout curtains to reduce light pollution and keeping bedroom doors closed to mitigate external noise.
Beyond immediate environmental factors, the visual aspects of a neighborhood can subconsciously influence sleep, a study from Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan suggests. Researchers analyzed over 200,000 Google Street View images, using artificial intelligence to assess streetscape features. The study examined 1,089 working adults in Tokyo living on lower apartment floors.
Findings indicated that residents in neighborhoods with a stronger perceived sense of safety tended to experience longer sleep durations. Visual elements such as trees and greenery, along with high "enclosure" rates created by tall buildings with limited open spaces, were also associated with longer sleep and fewer insomnia symptoms. In contrast, highly walkable areas with abundant sidewalks and traffic signs were linked to a lower sense of safety and shorter sleep periods, potentially due to increased foot traffic and crowds.
Professor Daisuke Matsushita, who led the study, stated that this analytical approach could allow cities to measure perceived safety, beauty, liveliness, enclosure, as well as pollution and noise levels. The researchers expressed hope that this perspective could lead to the design of healthier neighborhoods.
Palinski-Wade also noted that internal household factors, like room temperature and whether bedroom doors are open or closed, can affect how much outside noise enters the bedroom. She advised that simple adjustments inside the home can improve sleep.
However, the study's authors cautioned that their findings do not necessarily imply a need for people to relocate. The research relied on self-reported sleep data from a specific demographic—working adults on lower apartment floors in a single city. Therefore, the results may not be universally applicable to individuals on higher floors or those living in suburban or rural settings.
Palinski-Wade also emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, noting that going to sleep and waking up at the same time each day, including on days off, has the most significant impact on sleep quality and quantity.