Publication Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2005
An urban lullaby
An urban lullaby
(September 14, 2005) For some, sleep is evasive in world of barking dogs, car alarms and construction
by Aurora Masum-Javed
You finally fall asleep after wakeless hours only to be startled by your neighbor's barking dog or -- worse yet -- a car alarm that won't shut off.
In today's high-tech world, it seems the nuisance of noise is almost unavoidable.
While Palo Alto isn't exactly the noisiest neighborhood around, disturbances like construction, loud parties or concerts at Shoreline Amphitheater can be problematic.
Just how is one to sleep amid all this clatter? There are things that range from the simple, such as buying ear plugs, to the more complicated, like filing complaints with the city.
"A lack of sleep can lead to a cascade of problems during the daytime. Sleep is pivotal for your well being," Tracy Kuo, staff psychologist at the Stanford Sleep Disorder Clinic and diplomat of American Board of Sleep Medicine, said.
"Without enough sleep, people can be grumpy, irritable, less motivated, less able to experience joy, have difficulty learning and may suffer from a poor ability to pay attention. For people who have a medical condition, poor sleep may even cause them to experience more severe pain and make it more difficult for them to recover."
The first step to quelling loud noises is checking the city's municipal code on what constitutes such a noise and what the allowed hours are for such disturbances. For instance, Palo Alto recently banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers. If a neighbor or gardener is using one, a resident can call the police department to file a complaint. The Palo Alto municipal code prohibits construction between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays, holidays, Sundays and before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
To cut down on outside racket creeping indoors, Kuo recommends double-paned windows, heavy drapes and rugs, which absorb sound better than tile or hardwood floors. The lightest sleepers may also want to choose bedrooms furthest from the street, so they won't be easily awoken.
"The conclusions of several studies were that environmental noise does disrupt sleep and cause sleep fragmentation even though the person may not be aware of it. Noise can bump people into a lighter stage of sleep and diminish the restorative quality of sleep," she said.
If problems still occur, ear plugs will mask the noise. Some fear ear plugs will impair their ability respond in an emergency. While Kuo said this is a risk, she emphasized that emergencies are rare, whereas sleep disturbances are not.
"If a sound is of significance to the person, it would not require as high of a level of intensity to wake up the person. For example, if someone hears her name whispered, she can actually wake up much more quickly," Kuo said.
White noise CDs or machines are another way to drowned out noise . By covering outside noises with a continuous, soothing sound, white noise can help eliminate sleep fragmentation.
"The brain is designed to habituate to something constant. The brain can get used to it," Kuo said. "The best noise generators are ones that are less variable."
Since nature sounds often have more random noises, such as crickets chirping or waves crashing, Kuo recommended a CD or machine with more predictable, steady white noise. For similar reasons, Kuo said television shows and music are poor choices because they lack monotony.
"Music can induce relaxation, but if they continue to play the music while they're sleeping, the stimulus can prevent the brain from sleeping as deeply," Kuo said.
Fans and air conditioners create their own white noise, and according to Kuo are good at masking uncontrollable disturbances because of their calming, unbroken hums.
If sleep problems still persist, it may be necessary to talk to a doctor. Often, people who still have trouble sleeping despite the use of ear plugs or white noise machines, have more serious problems. Kuo said some have anxiety issues related to the noise, and others are so easily disturbed that they cannot fall back to sleep for hours.
"If you are a sensitive sleeper to begin with, then having to sleep in a noisy environment can sometimes lead to insomnia," Kuo said. "If the environment is still very hostile, then you may want to consider relocating to a quieter neighborhood."
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