Promoting quality sleep in older people: the nursing care role

Sleep is a basic activity of living. Its restorative properties in healthcare settings--both hospital and community--should be considered by healthcare workers. Its significance in gerontological nursing should not be underestimated. As older people are prone to multiple pathology, disease processes may mask their need for effective sleep and rest. "Sleep architecture" is a term that applies to the mechanics of sleep or its stages and clinicians may fail to identify when this is disrupted. "Sleep hygiene" refers to measures or interventions used to promote sleep and a person-centred approach is necessary, with support from specialist agencies to achieve effective sleep hygiene. The need for long periods of sleep may diminish owing to ageing. However, the quality of the sleep experiences, i.e. feeling rested and refreshed, should be the same. Several factors have been identified in the causation of insomnia. In healthcare settings, environmental factors such as noise and light pollution are the commonest features. Other issues that may be present in both healthcare and community settings are related to varied perspectives, such as physiological, psychological and spiritual-religious. Providing a climate conducive to health sleep in all settings becomes a requisite in the planning of care.