India, Sept. 22 -- The devout in the city seem to believe that the Gods love noise. Over the past four days, Navratri celebrations in the national capital have seen a nightmarish repeat of the cacophony of the Kanwar Yatra period, with boomboxes blaring music late into the night, disrupting health-critical sleep for many - the elderly, children, and patients are particularly vulnerable. Science has been clear about the harm of noise pollution for a long time. The health effects of night-time rest deficit due to ambient sounds are immediate and long-term. Research also shows that even when we are fast asleep, noise triggers the amygdala - the region of the brain that controls emotions such as anxiety and stress - and causes the release of ...