Neighbors Data center home / For neighbors / What the Science Says About Living with This Noise
Pathway from problem to solution:
What the Science Says About Living with This Noise
The stress you feel from being continually exposed to noise isn’t just in your head. Chronic noise triggers the body’s stress (“fight-or-flight”) response, raising stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure — a mechanism described by the U.S. Surgeon General in 1968.
Evidence on data center noise and health
Sleep. Nighttime noise disrupts sleep even at levels well below what most people call loud, and even when you’re asleep — when the body needs to recover.
Health. Chronic exposure is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety, depression, and other disorders.
Animals. Wildlife show measurable stress responses, and many pet owners near noisy facilities report negative changes in their animals’ behavior.
What this means. The physiological effect of noise on the body has been known for decades, is backed by decades of research, and is recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Nursing, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others.
For a fuller discussion of this health evidence, including sources, see Health Effects of Data Center Noise.
The next page covers how to measure the sound from data centers.
How noise affects health
This website is designed to be shared
Download, print, or send this page to a neighbor, a doctor, or a local official.