How Well Do Patients Sleep in the Hospital?

Sleep disruption is common in hospitalized patients and is a risk factor for developing delirium. In this cross-sectional study from 39 hospitals in the Netherlands, 2000 hospitalized patients (median age, 68) on the general medicine and surgical wards completed validated questionnaires regarding their sleep the preceding night compared with a typical night of sleep at home.

Sleep in the hospital was significantly shorter (mean, 83 minutes less), resulted in more nocturnal awakenings (3 vs. 2), and was of poorer quality, compared with sleep at home. In two thirds of cases, a potentially modifiable hospital-related factor, such as noisy hospital equipment or multiple noncoordinated awakenings, was to blame.