Citation

Roswall N, Poulsen AH, Thacher JD, Hvidtfeldt UA, Raaschou-Nielsen O, Jensen SS, Overvad K, Tjønneland A, Sørensen M. Sleep 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Natural Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Publisher Associated Professional Sleep Societies)

DOI

10.1093/sleep/zsaa029

PMID

32083664

Abstract

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Traffic noise has been associated with poor sleep quality and short sleep duration. This study investigates the association between nighttime road traffic noise at the least and most exposed façade of the residence, and redemption of sleep medication.

METHODS: In a cohort of 44,438 Danes, aged 50-64 at baseline (1993-97), we identified all addresses from 1987-2015 from a national registry, and calculated nighttime road traffic noise at the most and least exposed façades. Using Cox Proportional Hazard Models we investigated the association between residential traffic noise over 1, 5 and 10 years before redemption of the first sleep medication prescription in the Danish National Prescription Registry. During a median follow-up time of 18.5 years, 13,114 persons redeemed a prescription.

RESULTS: We found that 10-year average nighttime exposure to road traffic noise at most exposed façade was associated with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.05, 95 % confidence interval (CI) (1.00-1.10) for Ln >55 as compared to ≤ 45 dB, which when stratified by sex was confined to men (HR 1.16, 95 % CI 1.08-1.25). For the least exposed façade the HR for Ln > 45 vs. ≤ 35 dB was 1.00, 95 % CI (0.95-1.05). For the most exposed façade, the overall association was strongest in smokers and physically inactive.

CONCLUSION: Long-term residential nighttime noise exposure at the most exposed façade may be associated with a higher likelihood of redeeming prescriptions for sleep medication, especially among men, smokers, and physically inactive.

© Sleep Research Society 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Language: en

Keywords

Cohort study; epidemiology; prescription registry; road traffic noise; sleep medication