Evaluating Sleep Challenges in Hospitalized Youth

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hospital Medicine
• Sleep Science
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Sleep quality is crucial for pediatric recovery.
• Hospital environments can disrupt patient sleep.
• Understanding sleep disruptions in non-intensive care unit (ICU) settings is important.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize sleep quality and identify sleep disruptions in hospitalized youth outside the ICU.
• To assess the impact of clinical monitoring frequency on daytime sleepiness.

Main Methods:

• A survey-based study involving 45 pediatric patients (ages 8-17) hospitalized for ≥3 days outside the ICU.
• Utilized sleep diaries, Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD), and an Inpatient Sleep Disruptors Questionnaire.
• Correlated overnight clinical monitoring frequency with daytime sleepiness using descriptive and comparative statistics.

Main Results:

• Most participants (79%) reported fair to good sleep, with normal average sleep time and ESS-CHAD scores.
• Equipment alarms, vital sign monitoring, and noise were identified as primary sleep disruptors.
• Increased frequency of vital sign checks (every 4 hours vs. every shift) was associated with significantly higher daytime sleepiness (p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• While many hospitalized youth report adequate sleep, a notable portion experiences impaired sleep quality and elevated daytime sleepiness.
• Frequent vital sign monitoring and environmental noise are significant contributors to sleep disruption.
• Reducing the frequency of overnight vital sign monitoring in clinically stable pediatric patients may enhance sleep quality and reduce daytime sleepiness.