Insomnia Symptoms and Environmental Disruptors: A Preliminary Evaluation of Veterans in a Subacute Rehabilitation

Evaluate insomnia symptoms and environmental disruptors at admission and discharge in a subacute rehabilitation care setting.

Veterans (age ≥50) admitted to a Veterans Health Administration (VA) Hospital subacute rehabilitation between March and August 2022 completed baseline (N = 46) and follow up (N = 33) assessments with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Sleep Need Questionnaire (SNQ), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and an assessment of environmental sleep disruptors. Veterans were offered sleep resources after admission evaluations and outpatient referrals after discharge evaluations. Pearson correlation determined associations between length of stay (LOS), ISI, SNQ, and ESS scores at admission and discharge; chi-square and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests compared insomnia at admission and discharge.

One-half of participants reported clinically meaningful insomnia symptoms and sleep needs at baseline with no significant change at discharge. Almost all (89.1%) Veterans reported sleep was disturbed by environmental factors, primarily staff awakenings. LOS was correlated with ESS scores at discharge (r = .52, p = .002).

Environmental sleep disruption was common during a subacute rehabilitation admission and were not adequately addressed through sleep resources and treatment due to low uptake.

Providers should assess sleep at admission and lessen environmental sleep disruptors by reducing noise, light, and non-essential awakenings at night.