How to Prevent Sleep Disturbance in an Acute Care Setting

Sleep is required for the body to function normally. In an acute care setting such as a hospital ward, sleep is probably one thing that patients need but lack. Frequent disturbances from the staff, loud noises--like beeping IV pumps or hissing oxygen valves--and bright lights make it difficult to sleep at night. If there is a scheduled hospitalization in your future, whether it is for childbirth or elective surgery, plan ahead to get more sleep. If you are already in the hospital, communicate with the staff to get some rest.

Things You'll Need

• Eye shield
• Earplugs

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Instructions

Prior to a Scheduled Admission

• 1

  Invest in an eye shield and earplugs. You may not be able to keep out all the light and noise in your hospital room, especially if you have a roommate.

• 2

  Tour the ward. Anxiety is common, and it may keep you up at night. Ask to see the unit where you will be staying, even if it is not the exact room.

• 3

  Figure out when the staff comes into your room. In some facilities, it is routine to check on patients every two hours. When are vital signs done? Does someone come in at certain intervals to ask how much you drank?

If You Are Already in the Hospital

• 4

  Talk to the staff about slightly adjusting their routines to accommodate your needs. For instance, if vital signs are done every four hours starting at midnight, see if they can do yours at 11:30 pm, before they check the other patients. For 4 am vitals, ask if they can do yours last, which may give you five hours of uninterrupted sleep. Request that they do vital signs and other activities, like checking the IV pump, at the same time to prevent multiple disturbances.

• 5

  Inform your nurse that you only want medically necessary staff to enter your room at night. Ask if she can put a "Check with Nurse Before Entering" sign on your door, which will prevent people like housekeeping from coming into your room while you are sleeping.

• 6

  Request a sleeping pill, if desired, about an hour before someone does midnight vitals. This will give the medicine enough time to work so you fall asleep immediately after she leaves.