Only 9% of people do not have problems sleeping, and most people in Poland believe that authorities are downplaying the problem.
Long-term exposure to background noise contributes to many health problems, including sleep disorders, heart disease and premature death[1]. Light pollution from streetlights and other sources can also prevent the body from producing melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, leading to poorer sleep quality.
Sleep problems in an urban environment
How do you sleep? If poor, you're not the only one. Only 9% of respondents report that sleep problems do not affect them at all[2]. Urban environments are often characterized by higher levels of noise and light pollution, which can significantly disrupt sleep. Noise from traffic, nightlife or street cleaning successfully impedes our ability to get to sleep.
In Europe, exposure to environmental noise is a widespread problem , with at least one in five people exposed to noise levels considered harmful to health[3]. Exposure to noise above certain levels can lead to non-auditory effects such as irritability, sleep disturbance, negative effects on the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, and cognitive decline in children (WHO Europe, 2018). Long-term exposure to environmental noise has significant effects on physical and mental health. Reducing the negative effects of environmental noise exposure is a key goal under the Zero Pollution Action Plan, which aims to reduce the number of people chronically exposed to transportation noise by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2017).
too loud
The Quietness Suitability Index (QSI) for Europe shows that the northern part of the continent has the highest percentage of potentially quiet areas. In contrast, the noisiest areas reflect major transportation infrastructure locations and areas of high population density (major urban and metropolitan areas). Due to the predominance of anthropogenic land use in Europe, the areas with the highest quiet potential represent only 4% of the territory[4].
Chart - data based on the report "Do urbanites sleep worse than rural residents?" domondo.co.uk
compiled by Magdalena Milert
Noise or specific sounds happen where we don't expect them - from the home kitchen, to the school hallway, to the desk at work. Most often, it is somehow invisible. If you turn on the dishwasher while someone in the house is watching the TV at the same time, they are likely to turn up the volume so you can hear them better. The same is true if you are talking on a co-worker's phone while the printer, fan or kettle is running. Even single but prolonged sounds can cause damage to our hearing. Although 58% of respondents in Poland rate the level of night noise in their neighborhood as low, it is worth adding that we have noise maps available that reflect how noisy spaces we live in. Sounds at 70 dBA or below are usually considered safe. Exposure to hearing damage increases if the noise exceeds 85 dBA and lasts several hours, 100 dBA and lasts at least 14 minutes, 110 dBA and lasts at least 2 minutes.
noise map Krakow
© Municipal Spatial Information System Krakow
According to the ordinance of July 1, 2021, managers of major roads and railroads are required to make strategic noise maps outside cities with more than 100,000 thousand residents. However, we are woken up rather infrequently due to noise coming from outside, most often a few times a year (47%). Several times a month we are snatched from sleep for this reason by 21% of respondents, and several times a week by 8%. Individuals struggle with such a problem every day (1%), but fortunately there are many more who never experience it (23%)[5]. This may be related to habituation to sounds, known as habituation.
bad habituation
People usually do not pay attention to the sounds constantly around them. People's habituation to noise, while often beneficial for adapting to noisy environments, can have several negative consequences, such as reduced awareness of potential hazards. Even if we become less aware of noise, long-term exposure to high noise levels still has negative health effects. Chronic noise pollution is associated with a variety of health problems, including increased stress levels, sleep disturbances (which we are not aware of), and cardiovascular problems[6]. Even if a person believes they have become accustomed to noise at night, it can disrupt sleep cycles and impair sleep quality, leading to long-term health consequences[7].
Such habituation can lead to accepting higher background noise levels as "normal," which can reduce overall quality of life and enjoyment of quieter environments[8]. Additionally, habituation to noise does not necessarily prevent its negative effects on cognitive function, including concentration, learning and memory, especially in children.
Interestingly, although we can consciously habituate to noise, our bodies still respond to sound physiologically. Studies have shown that even habituation to noise can still cause heart rate acceleration and blood pressure changes[9]. At the same time, habituation to constant background noise causes sensitization to sudden or unexpected sounds, leading to heightened surprise responses.
Quiet potential (QSI) by country and aggregated for Europe - EEA Report No. 14/2016 Quiet areas in Europe; The environment unaffected by noise pollution
© European Environment Agency
When people become accustomed to noise, they can overlook early signs of noise-induced hearing loss or other hearing problems, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Simply becoming accustomed to sounds can also cause people to speak louder or have difficulty holding conversations in quieter environments. Noise, a common part of life in large cities, plays an important role in our sensory experience and can have a significant impact on our health.
light pollution
In addition to noise, we are constantly accompanied by light. Consistently scattered light in the atmosphere leads to a constant brightening of the night sky and lack of darkness, which is known as light pollution. Increasing scientific awareness of the negative effects of artificial light at night (Artificial-Light-At-Night = ALAN/LAN) on human health, ecological processes and sky visibility has led to the recognition of light pollution as a global environmental problem.
Biological processes are regulated by natural light cycles, so concerns about overexposure are related to its potential to trigger abnormal physiological responses, leading to negative health or environmental effects.
Chart - data based on the report "Do urbanites sleep worse than rural residents?" domondo.co.uk
compiled by Magdalena Milert
Studies have shown that even small amounts of artificial light can affect the sleep-wake cycle, resulting in reduced sleep quality, increased brain activity, shallow sleep or delayed sleep. Not only does light pollution reduce sleep time (which is bad enough on its own), but too much artificial light at night can also have other serious health consequences. These include an increased likelihood of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (obesity or diabetes), mental health disorders and even certain types of cancer, such as breast, prostate and colon cancer[10]. Researchers also find a link to depressive states and even suicidal thoughts. Disruption of the diurnal rhythm negatively affects the brain mechanisms responsible for emotional well-being[11]. I wrote more extensively about light pollution in this article.
There are now studies showing that among adults and the elderly, the higher the level of artificial light at night, the shorter they sleep. It has also been observed that artificial light at night - both indoors and outdoors - can increase sleep problems by 22%. Artificial light is the enemy of sleep because it confuses the internal clock that regulates it: it tells us that it is daytime and that it is not yet time to go to bed.
the data is there, the will is not
Despite concerns about the negative effects of artificial light on health, biodiversity and ecosystems, the EU lacks a common law regulating light pollution. ALAN is not yet considered a serious pollutant, so policies to reduce it are not a priority. There are EU directives on energy-efficient lighting, but they do not address the effects of light pollution. On noise, things are somewhat better - at least at the legal level. Regulations on noise pollution in Poland are strongly linked to European Union regulations (Noise Directive), Polish regulations also list individual elements of environmental protection from sound. Legislation, however, seems to live its life.
Half of Poland's respondents believe that local governments either fail to recognize the problem of light and noise pollution or downplay it. Experts stress the need for regulation on the issue. Ombudsman Prof. Marcin Wiącek points out that excess light can harm nature and people's health, causing sleep problems and threatening road safety, among other things. The Chief Sanitary Inspector points to a particular threat from blue LEDs, recommending technical methods to reduce their harmfulness. The lack of legal regulations on the acceptable intensity of outdoor lighting is a problem, and the authorities should take action in accordance with the principle of sustainable development.
The Ministry of Development and Technology has no plans for legislativechanges in this area for thetime being[12]. Minister Krzysztof Hetman said that the Ministry's legislative plans include working on a regulation to reduce light pollution, and in this - to protect citizens from the potential harm of LED lighting. However, he informed that due to their nature, these issues do not constitute deregulatory changes, which the Ministry plans to undertake in 2024, among other things.
on our own
So we are defending ourselves as best we can. As reported by domondo.pl, which conducted the survey[13]:
The majority (72%) choose to install blackout window shades in the form of blinds and curtains. Every second person tries to limit the amount of glowing electronics in the bedroom. Less than half (44%) install mosquito nets in their windows to get rid of the problem of insects interfering with sleep. In contrast, one in five respondents deal with unwanted sounds by installing blinds that muffle noise.
Magdalena Milert
[1] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/noise
[2] https://www.domondo.pl/poradniki/czy-miastowi-spia-gorzej-niz-mieszkancy-wsi-sprawdzilismy-jak-nadmiar-swiatla-i-halasu-wplywa-na-sen-polakow
[3] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/environmental-noise-in-europe
[4] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/quiet-areas-in-europe
[5] https://www.domondo.pl/poradniki/czy-miastowi-spia-gorzej-niz-mieszkancy-wsi-sprawdzilismy-jak-nadmiar-swiatla-i-halasu-wplywa-na-sen-polakow
[6] Basner M, Babisch W, Davis A, Brink M, Clark C, Janssen S, Stansfeld S. Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health. Lancet. 2014 Apr 12;383(9925):1325-1332. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61613-X. Epub 2013 Oct 30. PMID: 24183105; PMCID: PMC3988259.
[7] Basner M, Babisch W, Davis A, Brink M, Clark C, Janssen S, Stansfeld S. Auditory and non-auditory effects of noise on health. Lancet. 2014 Apr 12;383(9925):1325-1332. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61613-X. Epub 2013 Oct 30. PMID: 24183105; PMCID: PMC3988259.
[8] Gorai, A. K., & Pal, A. K. (2006). Noise and its effect on human being-A review. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, 48(4), 253.
[9] Park, S. H., Lee, P. J., & Jeong, J. H. (2018). Effects of noise sensitivity on psychophysiological responses to building noise. Building and Environment, 136, 302-311.
[10] Cupertino, M. D. C., Guimarães, B. T., Pimenta, J. F. G., Almeida, L. V. L. D., Santana, L. N., Ribeiro, T. A., & Santana, Y. N. (2022). LIGHT POLLUTION: a systematic review about the impacts of artificial light on human health. Biological Rhythm Research, 54(3), 263-275. https://doi. org/10.1080/09291016.2022.2151763
[11] Widmer, K., Beloconi, A., Marnane, I., Vounatsou, P., (2022). Review and Assessment of Available Information on Light Pollution in Europe (Eionet Report - ETC HE 2022/8), ISBN 978-82-93970-08-8, ETC HE c/o NILU, Kjeller, Norway.
[12] https://bip.brpo.gov.pl/pl/content/rpo-swiatlo-ledy-zanieczyszczenie-mrit-odpowiedz
[13] https://www.domondo.pl/poradniki/czy-miastowi-spia-gorzej-niz-mieszkancy-wsi-sprawdzilismy-jak-nadmiar-swiatla-i-halasu-wplywa-na-sen-polakow
