Belfast has been named as the best city for a good night’s sleep.
That’s according to the experts at Online-Bedrooms.co.uk who have analysed the capitals of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to find the best place for uninterrupted sleep.
They considered air pollution, light pollution, noise, cloud levels, average sleep and average hotel cost to find the winner.
The findings revealed Belfast is the best place to get a good night’s sleep with Edinburgh being the worst.
Belfast came in first thanks to its low levels of noise pollution, air pollution and average cost of a night in a hotel.
The Northern Ireland capital had the lowest levels of air pollution at 23.12 PM10 with London having the worst at 62.9 PM10, this is no surprise given its large transport system.
PM10 refers to the tiny dust particles in the sky caused by cars, factories and other construction work. High PM10 levels means there are more particles in the air, making the air less healthy to breathe.
Surprisingly London has the least amount of road noise pollution despite being such a hectic city, with just 19% of residents affected by traffic throughout the night.
Belfast came in second with 23% of residents being affected by traffic, Cardiff was third at 28%.
The research found that Edinburgh suffered from the most noise pollution with the disruptions impacting the sleep of 38% of residents.
London does however have the most light pollution due to skyscrapers and other buildings omitting artificial light throughout the night – with 11.4 mcd/m2 (luminance per square metre).
Light pollution is believed to have a negative impact on our bodies natural sleeping rhythm which can have a negative effect on our health over time.
Cardiff ranked second for having high light pollution with 4.49 luminance per square metre.
Edinburgh on the other hand has the least amount of light pollution giving residents a better sleeping pattern.
Overall, Cardiff ranked as the second best city to get a good night’s sleep. Not only did it have the highest level of cloudy days giving residents less darkness to sleep in, but it also has the cheapest hotel charges at just £66.
A night in the rest of the cities will cost visitors more, with the average stay in Belfast being £86, £100 in London and £102 in Edinburgh.
Due to its high levels of cost, air pollution and light pollution, London ranked third place overall.
Nic Shacklock from Online-Bedrooms.co.uk said: “It’s really interesting to see how each of the home nations’ capitals have ranked for the best night’s sleep.
“Overall Belfast came out on top despite not exactly being the cheapest city to stay in. It would cost tourists an average of £86 per night but I guess it’s worth it in exchange for the perfect sleep!
“Unfortunately Edinburgh ranked bottom as is the worst city for sleeping. It also has the most noise pollution making it harder to fall asleep. It’s also the city that will set tourists back the most with an average of £102 per night.
“It’s no surprise that London had the worst levels of air and light pollution given how busy and fast paced the capital is.
“What is surprising is that it was the city with the least amount of noise pollution from cars on the road overnight. When you look at this a bit closer it makes sense given that so many people that live there opt for public transport over driving.
“Those looking to visit one of the capitals may want to consider Cardiff which has the cheapest average hotel cost of £66.”
To find out more about which country has the best night’s sleep, visit OnlineBedrooms’ blog here https://www.online-bedrooms.co.uk/be-inspired/uk-sleep-index-best-city-for-sleep/.
| Rank | Country | City | Light Pollution | Cloud levels | Noise Pollution | Optimum sleep | Hotel cost GBP | Air pollution | Total points |
| 1 | N. Ireland | Belfast | 4.29 mcd/m2 | 79.40% | 23% | 74.3% | 86 | 23.12 | 20 |
| 2 | Wales | Cardiff | 4.49 mcd/m2 | 79.50% | 28% | 74.3% | 66 | 33.04 | 18 |
| 3 | England | London | 11.4 mcd/m2 | 73.90% | 19% | 74.3% | 100 | 62.9 | 15 |
| 4 | Scotland | Edinburgh | 4.13 mcd/m2 | 68.20% | 38% | 74.3% | 102 | 25.37 | 14 |
