In many American cities, the sound of a gunshot at night is not uncommon.
A recent study has shed light on just how frequent—and how disruptive—these nighttime gunshots can be, especially in low-income communities.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital delved into the effects of gunshots heard during the night versus the day, and their findings are revealing.
Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the study uncovers that gunshots are twice as likely to occur at night, impacting sleep quality and overall health of nearby residents.
The sound of a gunshot, often followed by the ensuing sirens of police and ambulances, can significantly disturb the sleep cycle. This is critical because quality sleep is essential for good health, influencing everything from metabolism to mental wellbeing.
This research underscores gun violence as not only a leading cause of death among children and adolescents in the United States but also a public health threat with broader implications.
With over 48,000 gun-related deaths in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the ripple effects of gun violence extend far beyond those directly affected by shootings.
The team analyzed 72,236 public records of gunshots from 2015 to 2021 in six major U.S. cities, comparing day and night incidences and mapping nighttime gunshot density.
They estimated the potential impact on communities by calculating “person nights” affected by the sound of gunshots, arriving at a staggering 12.5 million person nights annually across the analyzed cities.
Notably, nighttime gunshots—and the disturbances they cause—were predominantly found in lower-income neighborhoods, highlighting a socioeconomic disparity in exposure to this form of noise pollution.
Although the study did not directly measure sleep disruptions, its findings point to a significant, yet often overlooked, aspect of gun violence: its impact on community health through sleep disturbance.
The correlation between median household income and rates of nighttime gunshots further emphasizes the unequal burden shouldered by those in less affluent areas.
The research team, leveraging their diverse expertise across sleep and gun violence studies within the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, aims to further investigate sleep disturbances caused by nighttime gunshots.
Their goal is to develop community-based interventions to support those living in areas with high rates of gun violence.
This study not only contributes to the ongoing national conversation about gun violence but also highlights the need to consider the less visible effects of gunshots on communities.
By focusing on the disruptions to sleep and potential health consequences, the research opens new avenues for understanding and addressing the impacts of gun violence beyond the immediate physical harm.
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The research findings can be found in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
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