Sleeping under the sounds of traffic causes stress for the heart and blood vessels.
Even one night under the sounds of traffic can cause stress for the heart and blood vessels. This conclusion was reached by scientists who published the results of their study in the journal Cardiovascular Research (CR). The work helps explain why people living near busy roads are more likely to suffer from hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
A randomized double-blind experiment involved 74 healthy volunteers. On different nights, they slept either in silence or under recordings of 30 or 60 episodes of car noise with peak levels around 60 decibels — a typical level for an urban environment. By the next morning, participants exposed to the noise showed a deterioration in vascular function: their dilation rate decreased from 9.35 percent in the control group to 8.19 percent and 7.73 percent, respectively. At the same time, heart rate increased and sleep quality worsened.
Blood analysis revealed changes in proteins associated with inflammation and the body's stress response. According to the authors, even during sleep, the body continues to react to external stimuli, activating stress mechanisms. Repeated exposure to such noise may contribute to the development of hypertension and ischemic heart disease over time.
Researchers emphasize that protecting sleep is an important element in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to individual measures, such as soundproofing or changing housing layouts, they call for stricter regulation of transport noise at the urban planning level.
