Noise Annoyance and Sleep Disturbance Due to Road Traffic and Railway Noise in Germany

Environmental noise exposure is omnipresent, but the type of noise source and its appraisal may differ in varying contexts. For instance, studies have found significant differences in annoyance ratings between urbanisation levels. In this article, a re-analysis of existing survey data is presented, assessing noise annoyance and sleep disturbance from road traffic and railway noise in a random sample stratified by rural, suburban, and inner-city areas. Noise exposure was estimated using modelled L_den and L_night levels. Exposure–response curves showed greater annoyance at lower road traffic noise levels compared to the WHO guidelines (10% highly annoyed at 35 dB L_den vs. WHO 53 dB L_den). Railway noise annoyance aligned with the WHO estimates; however, sleep disturbance was lower at comparable exposure levels (3% highly sleep-disturbed at 53 dB L_night vs. WHO 44 dB). This re-analysis provides robust exposure–response relationships. The findings indicate higher levels for road traffic noise annoyance in Germany compared to international standards. A resulting policy implication is to link regular population surveys to noise action planning as a form of public participation. This approach enables the development of measures tailored to local conditions and supports the estimation of potential impacts, such as the number of people who may benefit from reduced noise exposure.