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Monetary value of undisturbed sleep
Sebastian Riethmüller1, Ruedi Müller-Wenk, Andreas Knoblauch
1Department for Pneumology and Multidisciplinary Sleep Center, Kantonsspital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Noise & Health
|June 27, 2008
Summary
People value undisturbed sleep highly, assigning it a significant monetary value. This research quantifies the economic worth of noise-free sleep to inform policy decisions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Health Economics
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Road traffic noise significantly disrupts sleep, impacting public health.
- Quantifying the economic value of sleep disturbance is crucial for policy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the monetary value of sleep undisturbed by road traffic noise.
- To inform the design of a national antinoise policy.
Main Methods:
- Structured interviews were conducted with 67 patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
- Patients provided self-rated monetary values for sleep improvement and rated noise-related sleep disturbance severity using a visual analogue scale (VAS).
- A severity ratio was calculated to convert the value of OSAS-related sleep improvement to the value of noise-free sleep.
Main Results:
- The mean monetary value for sleep disturbance controlled by nCPAP was CHF 70/night.
- The derived monetary value for sleep undisturbed by noise ranged from CHF 7.45 to CHF 23.81 per night.
- Patients maintained high valuations of sleep quality despite low treatment costs.
Conclusions:
- Sleep undisturbed by noise holds substantial monetary value for individuals.
- This economic valuation should be a key consideration in political decision-making regarding noise pollution policies.
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