Factors that Influence Sleep among Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities

Long-term care residents often experience sleep disturbances as they are vulnerable to a variety of physical, psychosocial, and environmental factors that contribute to sleep disturbances. However, few studies have examined the combined impact of multiple factors on sleep among long-term care residents. This study aimed to identify the factors that influence sleep efficiency and sleep quality based on a modified senescent sleep model. A total of 125 residents were recruited from seven long-term care facilities in South Korea. Sleep patterns and sleep quality were collected using 3-day sleep logs and the Minimal Insomnia Screening Scale for Korean adults (KMISS), respectively. The mean sleep efficiency was 84.6% and the mean score on sleep quality was 15.25. A multiple linear regression analysis showed that greater dependence in activities of daily living (ADL), higher pain, and light at night were related to lower sleep efficiency. Higher pain and fatigue, less activity time, noise and light at night, and lower nighttime staffing levels were related to poorer sleep quality. This study highlights that psychosocial and environmental factors as well as physical factors could influence sleep for long-term care residents. Our findings could be foundational evidence for multi-faceted sleep intervention program development in long-term care settings.