U.K. researchers find children’s wards are too noisy at night

The U.K. research team found noise on children’s medical wards at night exceeds the maximum limit recommended by the World Health Organization and is significantly louder than in their bedrooms at home. Previous research found children’s cancer and intensive care wards are noisy at night but it was unclear whether the same was true of general medical wards. For this study, researchers found, on average, the children slept for 63 fewer minutes a night that at home, averaging a total of just under 7.5 hours, while in hospital. Their mothers got just under 73 fewer minutes less than at home, averaging six hours 20 minutes. Sleep quality was also poorer when in hospital. The researchers suggest that while it’s reasonable to infer that noise will have affected sleep, they highlight a growing body of evidence suggesting that sleep has a role in regulating emotions and behaviour across the life course, and an impact on pain response and the immune system.