more greenery linked to earlier weekday bedtimes in children
Exact: β = -0.080
Higher neighbourhood vegetation (NDVI) is associated with earlier weekday bedtimes in children
In a cross-sectional study of 16,814 children aged 3–12 in Shanghai, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) — a satellite-derived measure of green vegetation — was negatively associated with weekday bedtime. This means children in greener neighbourhoods tended to have earlier bedtimes. The effect was consistent across weekdays and free-days, suggesting that access to nature around the home may support healthier, earlier sleep timing in children.
It was observed that higher NDVI was associated with earlier bedtimes (β = -0.080 on weekday and -0.056 for free-day; both p < 0.001)
Related findings
physiological and psychological responses measured during urban walks
Psychophysiological responses of 29 subjects were analyzed in relation to urban street scene configuration and color
Chiara Maninetti et al., 2026, Frontiers in Psychology
+12%
higher prevalence of poor (vs. favorable) sleep health with less greenspace
Low/moderate greenspace was associated with a 12% higher prevalence of poor sleep health compared to favorable sleep health
Symielle A. Gaston et al., 2025, Environmental Research
+32%
higher prevalence of moderate (vs. favorable) sleep health with less greenspace
Low/moderate greenspace was associated with a 32% higher prevalence of moderate sleep health compared to favorable sleep health
Symielle A. Gaston et al., 2025, Environmental Research
Read more in
Healthcare
Workplace Pricing biophilia: what the evidence is worth
Read at the primary sources, the business case for nature in buildings is narrower than advertised and strong enough to act on.
Healthcare Built to Wake: How Hospital Noise and Light Undermine Patient Sleep
Of the two environmental levers on inpatient sleep, noise control is the better proven and the cheaper, while tunable lighting for the general ward is the one the evidence does not yet support.
More from The Built Review
Workplace Germany's missing indoor-air bill
France, Britain and Australia have priced bad indoor air. Germany's missing number is a political choice, not a methodological limit.
Housing What insurers don't ask about buildings
Health insurers price age, tobacco and zip code. Building quality is in no model, and the law is only half the reason.
Urban Singapore's green mandate, sixty years in
Mandatory greening raises developer costs before it differentiates assets, and the most cited showcase numbers come from the architects themselves.