Website maintenance is planned from 8:00 a.m. CDT Saturday, July 27, through 9:00 p.m. CDT Sunday, July 28. Brief disruptions may occur during this time.
Inadequate sleep in hospitalized patients has been associated with poor outcomes, including high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, immune dysfunction, and delirium. Environmental factors (e.g., noise, light disruptions), care-related factors (e.g., blood draws, vital signs), and patient factors (e.g., illness, pain) all contribute to sleep disruption. It is generally recommended that nonpharmacologic interventions be the first line of prevention. Although data are limited, multifaceted interventions targeting modifiable factors including nighttime interventions to decrease noise and light, group care activities, and minimizing unnecessary patient contact (i.e., decreasing vital sign frequency, blood draws) may improve sleep quality and duration. Nonpharmacologic sleep aids (e.g., earplugs, eye masks, relaxation techniques) can be easily adopted and may provide some benefit.