Between road traffic, bar terraces and airplanes, noise disturbs the sleep of thousands of Parisians, according to a study published Monday by the noise observatory in Ile-de-France, Bruitparif, and the regional health observatory.
Being exposed to "environmental noise at night is associated with an increase in reimbursements for medication to combat insomnia," according to the "Somnibruit" study, conducted jointly with the sleep-vigilance-fatigue research unit (VIFASOM) and Paris Cité University.
It was conducted between 2017 and 2019 in Paris and 432 municipalities which together have more than 10 million inhabitants.
The researchers analyzed, in particular, reimbursement data for hypnotic drugs by municipality or district, as well as nighttime noise levels generated by road, rail, air traffic, or even the terraces of bars or restaurants.
According to the press release issued on Monday, approximately 510,000 people are affected each year by a reimbursement of medication for chronic sleep disorders and nearly 76% of the population (i.e. approximately 8 million inhabitants within the framework of the study) is exposed to a level of road noise that exceeds the WHO recommendation (45 dB maximum between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.).
"This is the first time in France that a study has highlighted a link between reimbursement for hypnotics and exposure to noise at night," says Nathalie Beltzer, director of ORS Ile-de-France, quoted in the press release.
"If the WHO guidelines for nighttime noise were followed, nearly 15,000 people could do without medication to combat chronic insomnia," she estimates.
The study demonstrates that "different types of noise can have a detrimental effect: those related to transport but also those related to outdoor nighttime recreational activities," adds Olivier Blond, president of Bruitparif, who hopes that this work "will encourage local authorities to change their policies for preventing noise in the environment."
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