Assessment of sleep quality in patients during hospitalisation
An exploratory study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14528/snr.2025.59.3.3302Keywords:
sleep, waking up; noise; artificial light; nursing activities, waking up, noise, artificial light, nursing activitiesAbstract
Background: During illness, quality sleep is crucial as it has a positive effect on metabolism, hormone regulation, and immune system maintenance. The aim of this study was to assess the sleep quality of hospitalised patients and identify the factors affecting it.
Methods: A non-experimental quantitative research method was used. The survey instrument consisted of the Richards Campbell Sleep Questionnaire and an additional 13 questions based on a literature review. The study sample consisted of 100 patients: 56 (56%) women and 44 (44%) men. Respondents' ages ranged from 19 to 89 years (x = 65.37, s = 15.676). The mean length of stay was 13.6 days (x = 13.68, s = 12.178).
Results: Sleep quality during hospitalisation was rated as poor (26.0%) and very poor (12.5%) by a total of 38.5% of patients. Women were statistically significantly more likely than men to report shallow sleep ( x = 60.80, s = 28.88) (U = 865.500, p = 0.011). Length of hospitalisation was not associated with sleep quality (r = –0.154, p = 0.127). Nighttime corridor noise outside the patient's room at night was reported as disturbing by 5.0% of patients. Noise from nurses attending to other patients in the same room was rated as disturbing by 8.0% of the patients.
Discussion and conclusion: Less than half of patients rated their sleep quality during hospitalisation as poor or very poor. Strategies to improve sleep quality should be a key component of quality care for hospitalised patients.
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