The city that never sleeps, perhaps because it can’t, is one of the few built up US areas with a noise code regulating sound from vehicles, construction, businesses, and recreation.

It has even installed cameras with sensors to detect and penalize violators.

Nine-in-ten New Yorkers are at risk of hearing loss from daily exposure to noise levels exceeding 70 decibels, the healthy average, a Columbia University study conducted between 2010 and 2012 found.

The report’s author, professor Richard Neitzel, is now leading the first national study on noise in which 200,000 volunteers wear smart watches to track sound levels.

“It looks like somewhere around one-in-four Americans are exposed to noise levels that could hurt their hearing over the long term,” said Neitzel, a professor at the University of Michigan.

You can’t undo it

Among young people aged 18 to 25, the primary source of excess noise exposure comes from headphones.

Overall, more people are exposed to high levels of environmental noise than to noise from their headphones, Neitzel added.

Although the percentage of the population exposed to noise is similar to those exposed to air pollution, acoustic issues are not prioritized by residents and officials like air quality is, Neitzel said.

There is clear evidence that excess noise is linked to poor sleep, cardiovascular issues, depression, cognitive decline, premature births and poor academic performance.