The Silent Threat: Investigating Sleep Disturbances in Hospitalized Patients.

BACKGROUND

Sleep disruptions in the hospital setting can have adverse effects on patient safety and well-being, leading to complications like delirium and prolonged recovery. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the factors influencing sleep disturbances in non-acute inpatient wards, with comparison of the sleep quality of patients staying in single rooms to those in shared rooms.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was used to examine patient-reported sleep quality and sleep disruption factors, in conjunction with objective noise measurements, across seven inpatient wards at an acute tertiary public hospital in Sydney, Australia.

RESULTS

The most disruptive factor to sleep in hospital was noise, ranked as 'very disruptive' by 20% of patients, which was followed by acute health conditions (11%) and nursing interventions (10%). Patients in shared rooms reported the most disturbed sleep, with 51% reporting 'poor' or 'very poor' sleep quality. In contrast, only 17% of patients in single rooms reported the same. Notably, sound levels in shared rooms surpassed 100 dBs, highlighting the potential for significant sleep disturbances in shared patient accommodation settings.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study provide a comprehensive overview of the sleep-related challenges faced by patients in hospital, particularly those staying in shared rooms. The most disruptive factor for patient sleep was noise, followed by acute medical conditions and nursing interventions. The insights from this study offer guidance for targeted healthcare improvements to minimise disruptions and enhance the quality of sleep for hospitalized patients.

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of International Society for Quality in Health Care.