Enclosed neighborhood streets are linked to better sleep, study finds
A new study using artificial intelligence to analyze street-level images finds that visually enclosed neighborhoods—framed by trees and buildings—are linked to longer sleep and less insomnia, likely because these areas feel safer and more lively.
A recent study conducted in Japan found that neighborhood environments with greater enclosure are linked to better sleep among employed adults. Enclosure refers to how strongly buildings, trees, and other vertical elements visually bound a street space. The study, published in Building and Environment, involved 1,089 Japanese adults living in the Greater Tokyo Area.
Participants' sleep was evaluated based on objective measures such as sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, and daytime sleepiness. Researchers used computer vision to analyze street-view images and assess environmental characteristics like greenness, walkability, imageability, enclosure, and complexity. The findings suggest that living in areas with greater enclosure may lead to less severe insomnia, less daytime sleepiness, and longer sleep duration.
This may be due to higher perceived safety and liveliness in more enclosed neighborhoods, which can positively influence sleep quality. However, the study's participants were all middle-aged, employed individuals living in a specific region of Japan, so further research is needed to determine if these findings apply to other populations and locations.
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