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Noise Annoyance and Sleep Disturbance Due to Road Traffic and Railway Noise in Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah Leona Benz

    (ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany)

  • Julia Kuhlmann

    (ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany)

  • Jonas Bilik

    (ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany)

  • Manfred Liepert

    (Möhler + Partner Ingenieure GmbH, 86153 Augsburg, Germany)

  • Dirk Schreckenberg

    (ZEUS GmbH, Centre for Applied Psychology, Environmental and Social Research, 58093 Hagen, Germany)

Abstract

Environmental noise exposure is omnipresent, but the type of noise source and its appraisal may differ in varying contexts. For instance, studies have found significant differences in annoyance ratings between urbanisation levels. In this article, a re-analysis of existing survey data is presented, assessing noise annoyance and sleep disturbance from road traffic and railway noise in a random sample stratified by rural, suburban, and inner-city areas. Noise exposure was estimated using modelled L den and L night levels. Exposure–response curves showed greater annoyance at lower road traffic noise levels compared to the WHO guidelines (10% highly annoyed at 35 dB L den vs. WHO 53 dB L den ). Railway noise annoyance aligned with the WHO estimates; however, sleep disturbance was lower at comparable exposure levels (3% highly sleep-disturbed at 53 dB L night vs. WHO 44 dB). This re-analysis provides robust exposure–response relationships. The findings indicate higher levels for road traffic noise annoyance in Germany compared to international standards. A resulting policy implication is to link regular population surveys to noise action planning as a form of public participation. This approach enables the development of measures tailored to local conditions and supports the estimation of potential impacts, such as the number of people who may benefit from reduced noise exposure.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah Leona Benz & Julia Kuhlmann & Jonas Bilik & Manfred Liepert & Dirk Schreckenberg, 2025. "Noise Annoyance and Sleep Disturbance Due to Road Traffic and Railway Noise in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(9), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:9:p:1366-:d:1738026
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mathias Basner & Sarah McGuire, 2018. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Effects on Sleep," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-45, March.
    2. Rainer Guski & Dirk Schreckenberg & Rudolf Schuemer, 2017. "WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Annoyance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-39, December.
    3. Mark Brink & Lise Giorgis-Allemand & Dirk Schreckenberg & Anne-Sophie Evrard, 2021. "Pooling and Comparing Noise Annoyance Scores and “High Annoyance” (HA) Responses on the 5-Point and 11-Point Scales: Principles and Practical Advice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Stefanie Dreger & Steffen Andreas Schüle & Lisa Karla Hilz & Gabriele Bolte, 2019. "Social Inequalities in Environmental Noise Exposure: A Review of Evidence in the WHO European Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Mark Brink & Dirk Schreckenberg & Danielle Vienneau & Christian Cajochen & Jean-Marc Wunderli & Nicole Probst-Hensch & Martin Röösli, 2016. "Effects of Scale, Question Location, Order of Response Alternatives, and Season on Self-Reported Noise Annoyance Using ICBEN Scales: A Field Experiment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, November.
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