High air pollution can disrupt sleep: study

People who live in areas with high levels of air pollution are up to 60 per cent more likely to suffer a bad night's sleep, a new study warns.

A new study says that people living in areas with high levels of air pollution reach 60 percent more likely to sleep during a bad night's sleep. Said Martha E. Billings, an assistant professor at the University of Washington in the United States: "The study suggests the possibility that not only affects common air pollution on heart and lung disease levels, but also on the quality of the dream." The researchers analyzed data from about 1,863 participants reached an average age of 68 years. They considered two of the most common air pollutants: nitrogen dioxide (NO2), contaminated and related gas to pass through, and PM2.5 - fine particulate pollution.
The researchers used local air pollution and environmental characteristics and statistical tools developed to estimate the exposure to air pollution in each participant's home at two points of time measurements: one year and five years. "Sleep efficiency" has been calculated - a measure of the percentage of time in bed sleeping passed awake front with the help of the wrist drawing. Wrist tracing, which measures small movements, and provided detailed estimates of sleep patterns and wakefulness for seven consecutive days.
Participants were divided into "room", according to pollution levels. It has been compared to a quarter of those who suffered from the highest pollution levels quarter with the lowest levels. The researchers found that the group with the highest levels of NO2 over five years had nearly 60 percent increase the likelihood of low sleep efficiency compared to those with the lowest levels of NO2.
Researchers said that the group that has the highest exposure to small particles (PM 2.5) has almost 50 percent chance of a decrease in sleep efficiency. "These new findings suggest the possibility that levels of air pollution experience usually not only affect heart and lung disease but also affect sleep quality. It may be one of the ways to improve air quality for Promote sleep health and possibly reduce health disparities.