Monetary value of undisturbed sleep.
OBJECTIVE
To design a national antinoise policy, we need to know the monetary value that people attach to the reduction of sleep disturbance due to road traffic noise.


BACKGROUND
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) controlled by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) underwent one-to-one structured interviews to determine the monetary value of their resultant undisturbed sleep. This was then converted into a value for sleep undisturbed by noise, using a severity ratio.


METHODS
Outpatient interviews in 67 OSAS patients (54 males, 28 to 73 years old) managed by the Center for Sleep Medicine, Kantonsspital, St. Gallen, Switzerland.


METHODS
The interview questions addressed the outcome and difficulties of nCPAP therapy, the self-rated severity of pretreatment sleep disturbance and self-rated monetary value of sleep improvement. Thirteen OSAS patients who had also experienced noise-related sleep disturbance rated its severity on a visual analogue scale (VAS).


RESULTS
The mean monetary value of nCPAP-controlled sleep disturbance was Swiss francs (CHF) 70/night (CHF1 = US$ 0.877, year end 2004; 25th and 75th percentiles: CHF 35 and CHF 100). Interviewees maintained this high estimate after learning that the actual treatment costs were only approximately 6 CHF/night. A severity ratio ranging from 2.3:1 to 4.7:1 for sleep disturbance resulting from OSAS or from noise was derived from patients' responses and literature. The value of noise-free sleep was CHF 7.45-23.81 per night.


CONCLUSIONS
Sleep undisturbed by noise has a remarkably high monetary value for people, which should be considered in political decision-making.
Riethmüller
Sebastian
S
Department for Pneumology and Multidisciplinary Sleep Center, Kantonsspital, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Müller-Wenk
Ruedi
R
Knoblauch
Andreas
A
Schoch
Otto D
OD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001336:Automobiles; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000191:economics*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012890:Sleep; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland