LONDON, April 4 — The scientific community is constantly extolling the merits of living close to green space, with numerous benefits for physical and mental health. One study, published in the journal Environmental Research, claims that living on greener streets is linked to better sleep.
The authors of this research came to this conclusion after using figures from the international BlueHealth survey, which collected health data from 18,838 adults in 18 countries. They focused their analyses on a subset of 16,077 volunteers, for whom they had information on their sleep duration, mental well-being and types of exposure to nature.
Study participants were asked about their degree of proximity to nature, such as whether they lived on tree-lined streets or saw rivers, lakes or other blue space from their homes. It turned out that volunteers living on greener streets or with views of blue space from their home tended to report better mental health. This, in turn, was associated with healthier amounts of sleep. The researchers note that people who spent more leisure time in green and blue spaces also reported better mental health and healthier sleep durations.
Only 17 per cent of those living on green streets said they slept less than six hours a night, compared to 22 per cent of volunteers not living on green streets. Study coauthor, Dr Mathew White, from the University of Vienna, said in a statement: “Whilst a five per cent difference may seem small, these findings are comparable to the difference in sleep between people who are coping on their present income and those under financial strain. With money worries widely recognised as an important determinant of sleep, we think this demonstrates street greenness should be recognised by governments as an important public health issue.”
More generally, this research suggests that living close to nature improves sleep quality. This finding is all the more significant given the evidence that getting a good night’s sleep is as important for health as exercise and healthy eating. The authors of the study encourage policy-makers to create more green space in residential areas to ensure the physical and mental well-being of those who live there. — ETX Studio
