Gardening for Sleep and Noise Pollution

There are many reasons I garden, but I started growing my own foods (or attempting to) about 2 years ago. I’ve done pretty well for the most part compared to when I had flowers outside that I’d either overwater or underwater. None of my plants really ever survived until about 2 years ago.

Thankfully, my green thumb started to appear and I’ve grown things we now cook with in the kitchen and are darn good.

How gardening helps me

I’ve also grown very fond of gardening because it uses so many senses during the process that it’s become cathartic for me. It’s something I enjoy doing but also something I realized I’m actually good at.

Not only does it provide a plethora of good stimuli for our physical and mental selves, but it also helps absorb some of the noise pollutions in our world.

Gardening for better health

In this article, I’ll provide a few gardening and planting tips or facts that will hopefully help your environment be as conducive as possible to your overall health, but specifically sleep.

Did you know, according to environmental resources, noise is second in polluting health? From health problems like hearing loss to tinnitus to sleep disturbance...all the way to mental health – our environment really sets us up for failure.¹

Gardening is a hobby I love

I struggle with major depressive disorder in addition to insomnia and other immune-mediated illnesses. Within the last 2 years, I’ve found a lot of grounding techniques by attending therapy but also finding a hobby that I now love. I live in the midwest, so the winters here are harsh. My hobby has grown into more of a lifestyle so that I can enjoy plants inside, reap the benefits of what they can offer me physically, and enjoy their beauty. As well as taste the goods they produce!

Gardening all year round

I’ve purchased smaller UV grow lights for my starter seeds in winter and spring, so really, my hobby can last all year long. This hobby has turned into a form of therapy for me. Touching the soil, smelling the mix of dirt, planting the seeds, and trimming existing grown plants. I really enjoy it and feel proud that I’ve been able to keep some harder-to-maintain plants alive! Thankfully I’ve got some larger plants I can put outside on the porch that will absorb the surrounding noise where we live.

Urban environments can negatively affect our physical and mental health, but some researchers have likened a certain vitamin, known as Vitamin G – or Vitamin Green – as beneficial to treating some illnesses, like depression.²

Did you know plants absorb noise?

Putting a few small trees or plants near your windows can help absorb some of the noise from your neighborhood, highways, and even airplanes. Obviously, you’ll still hear them if you’re near all these things, but it can help minimize the noise coming in.

So, by being a gardener, not only are you part of an amazing group of people who love this hobby, but you’re also paying it forward to the next generation of people who will probably experience even more noise pollution than our generations.