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Sleep is one of the most little understood but most important aspects of the human experience, as anyone who has suffered through a night or two of insomnia can attest. Luckily, relief may be as simple as a walk in nature.
A new study published in February 2004 in Environmental Research indicates that those who have a view of a greenscape or blue-scape, or have visited a place with a lot of greenery or water may get better sleep. This could be a sea of change for sleep research.
A global study
When looking for a home, many people are more interested in what is in the house, than what it looks out on. However, a global study, conducted over 18 countries, according to Ecowatch, indicates that the scenery one looks out on could have an impact on sleep quality.
According to World Health.Net, the study looked at data from over 16,000 people from all over Europe, Canada, the United States, Hong Kong, and Australia. The participants provided information about how much greenery they had around their homes, their access to parks, waterways, lakes, rivers, and coasts, as well as their sleep habits and mental health.
Ecowatch reports, though having a greenspace or waterway within one kilometer of the participants’ homes seemed to have no effect on sleep, greenery along the streets or a view of water, along with visits to green or blue spaces did indeed lead to fewer incidents of insufficient sleep.
Better mental health
The key behind these results, according to lead author Dr Leanne Martin from the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health, is mental health.
She said in a University of Exeter news release: “People that lived in greener streets reported better mental health, which was the driving factor behind getting a better night’s sleep. Streetscape greening initiatives already exist in urban cities to tackle environmental risks like flooding and heat island effects, but our findings suggest policymakers should extend that to residential areas to support public health by promoting healthier sleep habits.”
Cities are already working to create urban greenery as a way to fight flooding and heat islands. Now, the research shows that these initiatives could also contribute to public mental health in the form of better sleep.” Martin said in the news release.
This study proves what many people already intuitively know: nature is soothing and relaxing. However, what people may not have known is that the sense of relaxation one gets from being around greenspaces and water could carry on throughout the rest of the day and into the night for better sleep.
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