Doncaster named as one of the noisiest places in the country to sleep at night

Data from the European Environmental Agency shows that Doncaster has one of the highest percentages of residents exposed to dangerous road traffic noise in the country.

The audiologists at Hearmore UK conducted the research, revealing that 800 (0.60%) residents in Doncaster are regularly exposed to noise levels over 65 decibels at night.

This makes the town the ninth worst place for nightly road noise pollution in the UK.

While the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) outlines 85 decibels as a harmful level, studies have shown that sounds as low as 65 decibels can be harmful to health.

Night noise pollution is damaging to health due not only to its effect on hearing but also the fact that disrupted sleep can contribute to Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

The top 10 UK cities exposed to road traffic noise pollution at night

1 Newport

2 Belfast

3 London

4 Bristol

5 Swansea/Neath/Port Talbot

6 Manchester

7 Aberdeen

8 Slough Urban Area

9 Doncaster Urban Area

10 West Yorkshire

Asa Richards, audiologist at Hearmore UK has provided some tips to reducing the impact of noise pollution at home:

Sleep with white noise or pink noise

A white or pink noise machine layers sounds over each other across the spectrum of audible noise, creating a calming sound that has been found to help people fall asleep. If you find white noise too harsh, pink noise is layered and can be softer on the ears.

Wear earplugs at night

Soft ear plugs can block the noise and can be especially effective if you know your home is exposed to road, rail or air traffic at night. You can also find in-ear headphones that are comfortable for side sleepers to block out the noise.

Insulate walls and windows

Some cost-effective ways of insulating your exterior walls against noise include soft wall hangings and acoustic curtains. Thick curtains and fabric wall hangings help absorb more of the vibrations from noise outside, meaning it’s quieter in your bedroom during the night. This can be especially helpful if your bedroom is the closest to the road.