Overview
- In 25 healthy adults, pink noise at 50 decibels cut REM sleep by about 19 minutes compared with quiet nights.
- Intermittent aircraft noise shortened deep N3 sleep by roughly 23 minutes.
- Combined pink and aircraft noise reduced both REM and deep sleep and increased wake time by about 15 minutes.
- Earplugs largely prevented the deep-sleep drop from aircraft noise and outperformed pink noise as a protective measure.
- The peer-reviewed Sleep paper notes small, short, lab-based methods, FAA/ASCENT funding, and calls for larger real-world and pediatric research, including guidance to avoid broadband-noise machines for infants and toddlers.