Street greenery may be linked to better sleep quality, Japanese scientists have found. The study showed that a pleasant urban environment positively affects residents' rest in megacities, reports infohub.kz.
The researchers analyzed over 200,000 street images of Tokyo from Google Street View using artificial intelligence. The data were compared with sleep information from 1,089 working residents of the city aged 40 to 59.
It turned out that people living in greener areas sleep longer on average. Additionally, longer sleep and fewer insomnia symptoms were observed among residents of streets where the space is visually "framed" by trees or buildings.
Part of this association is explained by subjective perception of the neighborhood. Residents more often considered green and more enclosed streets safe and lively, and these feelings, according to the authors, positively influenced sleep quality.
Another result was unexpected. Areas with more pedestrian-friendly street layouts were associated with shorter sleep duration. The researchers suggest this may be because some residents perceive such areas as less safe.
The findings could be useful for architects and authorities when designing more livable neighborhoods, taking into account the impact of the urban environment on human health.
The study only identified a possible association between urban environment features and sleep. It does not prove that green streets directly improve or worsen sleep quality.