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Observational Study
. 2018 Sep 1;178(9):1201-1208.
doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.2669.

Quality and Quantity of Sleep and Factors Associated With Sleep Disturbance in Hospitalized Patients

Hilde M Wesselius  1 , Eva S van den Ende  1 , Jelmer Alsma  2 , Jan C Ter Maaten  3 , Stephanie C E Schuit  2 , Patricia M Stassen  4   5 , Oscar J de Vries  6 , Karin H A H Kaasjager  7 , Harm R Haak  4   5   8 , Frederiek F van Doormaal  9 , Jacobien J Hoogerwerf  10 , Caroline B Terwee  11 , Peter M van de Ven  11 , Frank H Bosch  12 , Eus J W van Someren  13   14   15 , Prabath W B Nanayakkara  1 ; “Onderzoeks Consortium Acute Geneeskunde” Acute Medicine Research Consortium
Affiliations
Observational Study

Quality and Quantity of Sleep and Factors Associated With Sleep Disturbance in Hospitalized Patients

Hilde M Wesselius et al. JAMA Intern Med. .

Abstract

Importance: Although inadequate sleep has a proven negative association with health care outcomes, to date, no large-scale studies have examined sleep in general hospital wards.

Objectives: To assess the subjective quantity and quality of sleep and to identify the hospital-related factors associated with sleep disturbances in hospitalized patients.

Design: For this nationwide, single-day, multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study, which took place on February 22, 2017, all hospitals in the Netherlands were encouraged by word of mouth and conventional and social media to participate in this study. A total of 39 hospitals participated. Included patients were at least 18 years of age, were able to give informed consent, and had spent at least 1 night in a regular-care hospital ward.

Exposures: Hospitalization in a regular-care ward.

Main outcomes and measures: Quantity and quality of last night's sleep in the hospital compared with habitual sleep at home the month before hospitalization. The Consensus Sleep Diary and the Dutch-Flemish Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Sleep Disturbance item bank were used. Complementary questions assessed sleep-disturbing factors.

Results: A total of 2005 patients were included (median age, 68 years; interquartile range, 57-77 years; 994 of 1935 [51.4%] were male [70 patients did not identify their sex]). Compared with habitual sleep at home, the total sleep time in the hospital was 83 minutes (95% CI, 75-92 minutes; P < .001) shorter. The mean number of nocturnal awakenings was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.9-2.1) times at home vs 3.3 (95% CI, 3.2-3.5) times during hospitalization (P < .001). Patients woke up 44 minutes (95% CI, 44-45 minutes; P < .001) earlier than their habitual wake-up time at home. A total of 1344 patients (70.4%) reported having been awakened by external causes, which in 718 (35.8%) concerned hospital staff. All aspects of sleep quality measured using PROMIS questions were rated worse during hospitalization than at home. The most reported sleep-disturbing factors were noise of other patients, medical devices, pain, and toilet visits.

Conclusions and relevance: This study demonstrated that the duration and quality of sleep in hospitalized patients were significantly affected and revealed many potentially modifiable hospital-related factors negatively associated with sleep. Raising awareness about the importance of adequate sleep in the vulnerable hospital population and introducing interventions to target sleep-disturbing factors may improve healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

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Figure.. Inclusion Quantitative Sleep Measurements
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