Sleep promotion in the intensive care unit-a survey of nurses' interventions

Sleep deprivation is common amongst patients in intensive care units (ICU) and can lead to physiological and psychological dysfunctions that affect the healing process and increase morbidity and mortality. A focus on the effects of the ICU environment on patient sleep quality has lead to strategies for improvements in patient care. The aim of this small-scale study was to investigate the perceptions of the sleep-promoting interventions that ICU nurses believe they provide. A review of the literature identified four main approaches, i.e., noise reduction, light reduction, patient comfort improvement and clustering of patient care activities, to allow uninterrupted time for adequate sleep. A questionnaire was created to collect information on the nurses' interventions to promote night- and daytime patient sleep in accordance with the literature findings. A total of 25 ICU nurses working in an ICU with medical and surgical patients at the University Hospital of Northern Norway completed the e-mail-administered web-based questionnaire. The ICU nurses reported an overall interest and awareness in sleep-promoting interventions utilising all four approaches, but the challenge of caring for critically ill patients with demands of frequent assessment and nursing may influence which interventions are prioritised.