Facilitating Sleep in the Hospital.

Abstract

The benefits of sufficient high-quality sleep are well documented; however, hospitalized patients frequently experience inadequate sleep due to standard care practices requiring frequent assessments. Patient surveys identify staff interruptions and environmental noise as primary contributors. Institutional barriers, including the absence of formal sleep-promoting policies and limited staff training, further exacerbate the issue. Both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions have been developed to enhance sleep and improve outcomes such as length of stay and patient experience, though findings remain inconsistent. Evidence suggests these interventions are generally safe and further research is needed to optimize inpatient sleep quality.