Although there was a strong association between sleep EEGs and actigram-measured awakenings and self-reported sleep disturbance, none of the aircraft noise events were associated with awakenings detected by actigram and the chance of sleep disturbance with aircraft noise exposure of <82 dB was insignificant. In a subsequent actigraphy study around four UK airports, sleep disturbance was studied in relation to a wide range of aircraft noise exposure over 15 consecutive nights 7. In effect, the work suggested a symptom reporting or attribution effect rather than real noise effects. In the Civil Aviation Authority Study 6 around Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the relative proportion of total sleep disturbance attributable to noise increased in noisy areas but not the level of total sleep disturbance. In fact, there is a low association between outdoor noise levels and sleep disturbance. Objective sleep disturbance is likely to occur if there are more than 50 noise events per night with a maximum level of 50 dBA indoors or more.

One laboratory study, however, found no habituation during 14 nights of exposure to noise at maximum noise level exposure 5. Habituation occurs with an increased number of sound exposures by night and across nights. Exposure to noise disturbs sleep proportional to the amount of noise experienced in terms of an increased rate of changes in sleep stages and in number of awakenings. There is both objective and subjective evidence for sleep disturbance by noise 4. Non-auditory effects of noise on health Noise and sleep disturbance The response to noise may depend on characteristics of the sound, including intensity, frequency, complexity of sound, duration and the meaning of the noise. Alternatively, noise may influence health directly and not through annoyance. In some cases, annoyance may lead to stress responses, then symptoms and possibly illness 3. If noise does cause ill-health other than hearing impairment, what might be the mechanism? It is generally believed that noise disturbs activities and communication, causing annoyance. However, the levels of environmental noise, as opposed to industrial noise, are much lower and effects on non-auditory health cannot be explained as a consequence of sound energy. Hearing impairments due to noise are a direct consequence of the effects of sound energy on the inner ear.

communication problems) 1.Д®xposure to continuous noise of 85вЂ“90 dBA, particularly over a lifetime in industrial settings, can lead to a progressive loss of hearing, with an increase in the threshold of hearing sensitivity 2. Non-auditory effects of noise, as dealt with in this chapter, can be defined as вЂall those effects on health and well-being which are caused by exposure to noise, with the exclusion of effects on the hearing organ and the effects which are due to the masking of auditory information ( i.e. Noise, defined as вЂunwanted soundвЂ™, is perceived as an environmental stressor and nuisance. Further research is needed examining coping strategies and the possible health consequences of adaptation to noise. In children, chronic aircraft noise exposure impairs reading comprehension and long-term memory and may be associated with raised blood pressure.

In both industrial studies and community studies, noise exposure is related to raised catecholamine secretion. Aircraft and road traffic noise exposure are associated with psychological symptoms but not with clinically defined psychiatric disorder. Studies of occupational and environmental noise exposure suggest an association with hypertension, whereas community studies show only weak relationships between noise and cardiovascular disease. Noise interferes in complex task performance, modifies social behaviour and causes annoyance.

Exposure to transport noise disturbs sleep in the laboratory, but not generally in field studies where adaptation occurs. Noise is a prominent feature of the environment including noise from transport, industry and neighbours.

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