Establishing the acute physiological and sleep disruption characteristics of wind farm versus road traffic noise disturbances in sleep: a randomized controlled trial protocol

Abstract

Advance access publication 6 September 2023Study Objectives: Despite the global expansion of wind farms, effects of wind farm noise (WFN) on sleep remain poorly understood. This protocol details a randomized controlled trial designed to compare the sleep disruption characteristics of WFN versus road traffic noise (RTN). Methods: This study was a prospective, seven night within-subjects randomized controlled in-laboratory polysomnography-based trial. Four groups of adults were recruited from; 15 s events) from sleep by each noise type with acute (20-s) and more sustained (3-min) noise exposures. Secondary analyses will compare dose–response effects of sound pressure level and noise type on EEG K-complex probabilities and quantitative EEG measures, and cardiovascular activation responses. Group effects, self-reported noise sensitivity, and wake versus sleep noise exposure effects will also be examined. Conclusions: This study will help to clarify if wind farm noise has different sleep disruption characteristics compared to road traffic noise.Gorica Micic, Branko Zajamsek, Bastien Lechat, Kristy Hansen, Hannah Scott, Barbara Toson, Tessa Liebich, Claire Dunbar, Duc Phuc Nguyen, Felix Decup, Andrew Vakulin, Nicole Lovato, Leon Lack, Colin Hansen, Dorothy Bruck, Ching Li Chai-Coetzer, Jeremy Mercer, Con Doolan and Peter Catchesid