Air pollution, heat, ambient noise linked to lower sleep quality: Study

Air pollution, heat, and high levels of carbon dioxide and ambient noise may all adversely affect our ability to get a good night's sleep, according to a study.

The research, published in the journal Sleep Health, is one of the first to measure multiple environmental variables in the bedroom and analyse their associations with sleep efficiencythe time spent sleeping relative to the time available for sleep.

The researchers found that in a group of 62 participants tracked for two weeks with activity monitors and sleep logs, higher bedroom levels of air pollution (particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in size or PM2.5), carbon dioxide, noise, and temperature were all linked independently to lower sleep efficiency.

"These findings highlight the importance of the bedroom environment for high-quality sleep," said study lead author Mathias Basner, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, US.

In addition to work and family obligations that compete with sleep for time, a quick