[Sleep problems and use of hypnotics in a nursing home. An inventory]

An inventory has been made on sleeping problems and the use of hypnotics in a nursing home. Contrary to general opinion, the results show that admission to a nursing home does not have to lead to an increase of hypnotics and neuroleptics used. One third of the total patient population revealed severe subjective sleeping problems, for which, however, a therapeutic intervention was not always necessary. In particular somatic revalidation patients showed high percentages of sleeping complaints and medical treatment. A communication hypothesis is presented as a possible explanation: somatic patients are able to ask for medication contrary to psychogeriatric patients, for whom the caregiving network often initiates therapeutic intervention. Attention is focussed on a few sleep disturbing stimuli that often occur in the setting of a nursing home. Prevention of these stimuli implicates changes in the nursing care organization.