Sleep in a dense city

How much sleep is enough

The CDC gives adults a number to aim for. Adults aged 18 to 60 should sleep seven or more hours a night, adults aged 61 to 64 should sleep seven to nine hours, and adults aged 65 and older should sleep seven to eight hours. The CDC also says that quality matters as much as duration, and that signs of poor quality include trouble falling asleep and waking often during the night.

The bedroom the CDC describes

The CDC's habits for better sleep read like a description of a good bedroom: quiet and relaxing, and cool. The rest of its list covers the hours around the room:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same times each day.
• Turn off electronics at least 30 minutes before bed.
• Avoid large meals and alcohol before bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine in the afternoon or evening.
• Exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

Light, noise and heat in an apartment

In a dense neighborhood, the three pressures on a bedroom are easy to name. Street lights and the glow of a neighboring building come through the window, so many people close blinds or curtains at night. Traffic, sirens and voices on the sidewalk come through the wall. In summer, a top-floor or south-facing room holds heat, and a fan in the window is a common response. None of these is a medical matter. They are the ordinary conditions of a city bedroom, and the CDC's "quiet" and "cool" are the target.

Reporting noise through NYC311

New York City has a Noise Code, and NYC311 takes reports of violations. Its pages separate several situations:

• Residential noise. Noise from a neighbor. NYC311 says responders can take action if the noise is still happening when they arrive.
• Street or sidewalk noise. Loud music, parties or talking on the sidewalk or street.
• Construction noise. Noise from street or building construction, including jackhammers.

A report is a way to deal with the source of the noise. It does not replace asking whether your own sleep is a concern.

When the room is not the whole story

The CDC says to talk to your healthcare provider if you regularly have trouble sleeping. A provider may use a sleep diary or a sleep study to learn more. A sleep diary is simply a written record of when you went to bed, when you woke and how the night went, and it is worth keeping for a couple of weeks before an appointment. The guide to what a sleep study is describes the next step, and the Bronx directory lists centers.