Impact of reduced reverberation time on sound-induced arousals during sleep.

The effect of reducing reverberation time was studied in 12 subjects during sleep. EEG-arousals following specific sound stimuli were significantly reduced (p<0.007) when reverberation time was reduced with sound-absorbing ceiling-tiles. On average reverberation was reduced 0.124 seconds at similar sound levels. It is proposed that increased sound absorption, i.e. reduced reverberation time, by contributing to a better acoustic environment may reduce sound-induced sleep fragmentation.