Sleep: The secret to sleeping well and waking refreshed. Prof. Idzikowski Chris

Vibrations

       Vibration can affect sleep just as much as noise. It has been found that even quiet traffic noise of 50dB, when accompanied by vibrations, is more disturbing than when there is just noise. REM sleep is more affected than other stages of sleep. Performance the following day can be impaired.

      Noise is a problem in many hospitals, particularly in intensive care units. Research has shown that noise in the latter does disturb sleep, and it could be argued that healing processes could be facilitated if natural sleep were promoted. Studies have shown that in neonatal intensive care units, for example, very low birth weight babies sleep more deeply and cry less if quiet hours are introduced. Playing ocean sounds to mask the noise in an intensive care unit has been found to work.

      In controlled studies, traffic noise has been shown to increase the time it takes to get to sleep and to lead to greater irritability. Aircraft noise from airports can affect EEG results, showing lighter sleep. However, despite the fact that higher psychiatric hospital admission rates, GP visits and self-reported health problems have been reported near airports, the effects are highly variable from individual to individual, some being oblivious to the noise levels, others not.

      Installing double- or triple-glazing in your home may help, as will wearing ear-plugs, though there is an obvious danger with the latter of possibly life-saving alarms not being heard.

      Snoring partners

      Many people find snoring amusing, but its long-term effects can be damaging to both the person who snores and their partner. Snoring (covered in more detail on pages 134-6) has been reported to disturb at least 20 per cent of the adult population and has led to numerous social problems ranging from marital disharmony to murder.

      watch out!

       The disadvantage of not seeking help for your snoring problem is that you may be suffering from a more serious sleep breathing disorder: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA – see page 132).

      A survey using a throat microphone found that 81 per cent of men snored for more than 10 per cent of the night and 22 per cent snored for more than 50 per cent of the night. Other studies have found that women exposed to loud snoring have a higher rate of health complaints, including (not surprisingly) hearing loss!

      Although snoring is less prevalent among women, research shows that between 10 and 20 per cent suffer habitual problems and that the incidence increases after the menopause (see page 55).

      Snoring is associated with being male. This may be because the anatomy of men and women is different, while the distribution of body fat also predisposes men to snoring. It has also been suggested that women perceive and report snoring more than men. Although there is no universal cure for snoring (possibly because it has so many different anatomical causes), limiting alcohol intake and losing weight may help – research shows there is a clear link between obesity and snoring.