The effect of natural sounds on stress recovery: a study of Heart Rate Variability
Abstract
Psychological stress is widespread in urban populations, and soundscape-based interventions may offer a low-cost way to support recovery. This study presented a controlled dataset linking perceived restorativeness with cardiac autonomic responses during post-stress recovery under different natural sound exposures. Using a within-subject design, 26 participants completed four laboratory sessions in a balanced random order: silence, water sound, birdsong, and wind sound. Natural sound stimuli were author-recorded and presented as 5-min segments. The headphone-equivalent sound pressure level for natural sound conditions was standardized to 50 dB (A). Acute stress was induced using the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), followed by a recovery phase with continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording. Subjective responses were assessed using the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS), and physiological recovery was evaluated using heart rate variability indicators derived from ECG (including LF/HF ratio and a stress index). Compared with silence, natural sounds were associated with improved recovery, with higher PRS ratings for water sound and birdsong and lower LF/HF ratios and stress index values, particularly under birdsong. This data provided a reproducible basis for comparing sound-type-specific recovery profiles and supports evidence-informed design of restorative acoustic environments.
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Article Details
Accepted 2026-02-26