Previous research has demonstrated that short-term, nature-related breaks can support psycho-cognitive restoration. In practice, urban green spaces such as rooftop gardens offer such restorative effects; however, these benefits are often undermined by urban noise. Research further suggests that adding natural sounds, such as birdsong, can improve the self-assessed pleasantness of these spaces and enhance psychophysiological recovery.
We extend this line of research by examining the immediate and medium-term (same-day, same-night, and next-day) (objective) physiological benefits of a natural soundscape intervention in a sample of working professionals. In a controlled field experiment in Singapore, working professionals took a 30 min break at a rooftop biophilic gazebo exposed to heavy traffic noise. The intervention and control groups received identical instructions and experience, except that the intervention environment was covertly enhanced using a validated system broadcasting natural sounds, including bird calls.
Heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological marker of recovery, was continuously measured via wearable devices from before the gazebo visit through overnight sleep and the following morning. Participants exposed to the natural soundscape exhibited significantly higher HRV after the visit, indicating improved psycho-physiological recovery. Critically, this benefit persisted for up to two hours after sleep onset on the same night but was no longer evident the following day.
These findings suggest that even modest, low-cost acoustic interventions can temporarily cushion the physiological toll of urban noise. The study highlights the potential for integrating scalable soundscape design into urban planning to enhance mental recovery in public spaces. Modern work and urban life expose working professional to sustained job, cognitive, emotional, and environmental demands.
Employees are often required to maintain attention, regulate emotions, process information continuously, and perform under conditions that may include time pressure, and limited opportunities for restoration. Over time, these demands can strain psychophysiological resources and create a need for effective recovery during and after the workday. Recovery is therefore not merely a matter of rest, but a process through which individuals disengage from demands, restore regulatory capacity, and regain the physiological and cognitive resources required for sustained functioning.
As one of the many examples, an important consequence of insufficient recovery is mental fatigue, a psychobiological state induced by prolonged cognitive exertion and characterized by subjective tiredness, reduced motivation, and impaired cognitive performance, including decrements in attention and executive function. Mental fatigue is increasingly relevant given the demands of modern work and everyday environments. It can impair occupational performance1,2 and, in safety-critical contexts, contribute to accidents, some of which may be fatal3,4,5,6.
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