A Swiss study interviewed 67 patients with obstructive sleep apnea who used CPAP therapy to estimate the monetary value people place on undisturbed sleep. Patients valued a good night's sleep at an average of about 70 Swiss francs per night, and after adjusting for the difference in severity between sleep apnea and traffic noise disturbance, the researchers estimated that noise-free sleep is worth roughly 7 to 24 Swiss francs per person per night. The findings suggest that sleep disrupted by road traffic noise carries a significant monetary cost that should be factored into airport and transportation noise policy decisions.Open full document
Notes
This study examines the monetary value people attach to undisturbed sleep by interviewing OSAS patients treated with nCPAP therapy in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Patients rated the monetary equivalent of their sleep improvement, which was then converted to a value for noise-free sleep using a severity ratio. Results indicate that sleep undisturbed by road traffic noise has a monetary value of CHF 7.45-23.81 per night.