Sleep-enhancing nursing interventions in hospital wards: A systematic review

Aim

To identify sleep-promoting nursing interventions in hospitalized adults and older people.

Background

Sleep is necessary for maintaining good physical and mental health, as well as a high quality of life. Hospitalization can significantly disrupt sleep patterns, which is an often-overlooked issue. Nurses are the main participants in promoting sleep in hospitalized patients.

Methods

Systematic literature review based on the question: “What interventions can nurses implement to promote sleep in hospitalized adults and older people?”. The research was conducted on April 4, 2023, in CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science, filtering the articles published in the last 10 years. For a study to be included, it must feature adult or older participants, an intervention that aims to enhance sleep, and the research should have been conducted within a hospital setting. We followed the PRISMA flow diagram and analyzed the quality of the articles according to the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria for quality assessment. The results were subjected to a narrative synthesis.

Results or findings

Of the 712 articles found, 13 were selected. The sample encompasses 1975 participants. These selected articles emphasize educational and communicative interventions, dietary and sensory interventions, symptomatic and environmental control, daily activity planning, sleep assessment and documentation, and individualized nursing care.

Discussion

There is a need for a systematic approach incorporating physical, psychosocial, and relational dimensions within the care context.

Conclusion

It is necessary to raise the nurses’ awareness of the factors that affect sleep experience and empower them to promote sleep in partnership with hospitalized patients.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Sleep interventions can be promoted by implementing hospital policies, including environmental modifications in the design and refurbishment of facilities and restricting nighttime patient transfers to reduce noise and disturbances. Encouraging research studies that explore the effectiveness of these interventions will further support the development of evidence-based policies aimed at improving sleep quality in hospitalized patients.