disturbance
n. C / Un. something that interrupts your peace or stops you from focusing. It can be a loud noise, a physical movement, or a change in how someone's mind works.
n. an interruption of a settled state, quiet condition, or regular function. In clinical contexts, refers to a disruption of normal psychological or physiological processes.
The loud music was a major disturbance to my sleep.
The hospital staff worked quickly to minimize any disturbance to the patients during the renovation of the wing.
The study examines how chronic sleep disturbance correlates with the development of mood disorders and cognitive decline in elderly populations.
From Middle English disturbaunce, from Old French destorbance, destourbance, from destourber (“disturb”), from Latin disturbō. By surface analysis, disturb + -ance.
Countable when referring to a specific event or instance; uncountable when referring to the general state of being interrupted.