Hospital wards across the NHS are breaking recommended noise limits, disturbing patients' sleep, well-being and recovery, experts say.

专家称，英国国民健康保险制度下的某些医院病房打破了推荐的噪音限制，打扰了病人的睡眠、健康和康复。

Two separate studies found the din（喧闹，聒噪不停地说） of chattering visitors and loud mobile phones pushed noise levels well over recommended limits.

The World Health Organization says patients should not be exposed to noise above 35 decibels（分贝） or a loud whisper.

But the UK researchers frequently recorded levels of 60dB to 90bB.

Researchers at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, found noise levels on an average general medical ward（内科病房） exceeded 60dB most of the time, even at night.

At the Newcastle teaching hospital, nurses recorded levels averaging in the mid-40s and peaking at nearly 100dB - as loud as a lawnmower（割草机）.

Lead author Annette Richardson, a nurse consultant（主任护师） in critical care at Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Hospitals can be very noisy places.

"Dropping a stainless steel bowl creates 108 dBs, which is more than the 100 dBs from a nearby car horn or chainsaw（链锯）."

Ringtones and relatives

But it was mobile phones that were the real bugbear（烦恼的根由）, as well as noisy visitors.

Both research teams looked at whether adopting simple measures could reduce noise levels.

They asked staff to make a number of changes, including wearing soft soled shoes, switching mobile phones on to vibrate rather than ring and turning alarms on to "night mode" from the evening until the morning.

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