How Much Do Morning Blood Draws Affect Patients’ Sleep?

Although early morning blood draws support clinical decision-making and discharge planning, they can interrupt restorative sleep and compromise patient satisfaction. To assess the effects of blood-draw timing on sleep, researchers studied 128 inpatients in two identical general medicine units. One unit performed blood draws at 4 a.m. and the other at 6 a.m. Patients hospitalized for at least 3 nights completed validated sleep questionnaires that assessed quality of sleep and sleep duration. Analysis was adjusted for conditions and medications that affect sleep, including high body–mass index, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes, and depression.