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Improvement of intensive care unit sound environment and analyses of consequences on sleep: an experimental study

Persson Waye, Kerstin ; Elmenhorst, EM ; Croy, I and Pedersen, Eja LU (2013) In Sleep Medicine 14(12). p.1334-1340
Abstract
Objective: Uninterrupted sleep is of vital importance for restoration and regaining health. In intensive care units (ICUs) where recovering and healing is crucial, patients' sleep often is fragmented and disturbed due to noise from activities from oneself, other patients, and alarms. The aim of our study was to explore if sleep could be improved by modifying the sound environment in a way that is practically feasible in ICUs. Methods: We studied the effects of originally recorded ICU noise and peak reduced ICU noise on sleep in healthy male participants. Sleep was registered with polysomnography (PSG) during four nights: one adaptation night, one reference (REF) night, and the two exposed nights with similar equivalent sound levels (47 dB... (More)
Objective: Uninterrupted sleep is of vital importance for restoration and regaining health. In intensive care units (ICUs) where recovering and healing is crucial, patients' sleep often is fragmented and disturbed due to noise from activities from oneself, other patients, and alarms. The aim of our study was to explore if sleep could be improved by modifying the sound environment in a way that is practically feasible in ICUs. Methods: We studied the effects of originally recorded ICU noise and peak reduced ICU noise on sleep in healthy male participants. Sleep was registered with polysomnography (PSG) during four nights: one adaptation night, one reference (REF) night, and the two exposed nights with similar equivalent sound levels (47 dB L-Aeq) but different maximum sound levels (56- vs 64-dB L-AFmax). The participants answered questionnaires and saliva cortisol was sampled in the morning. Results: During ICU exposure nights, sleep was more fragmented with less slow-wave sleep (SWS), more arousals, and more time awake. The effects of reduced maximum sound level were minor. The subjective data supported the polysomnographic findings, though cortisol levels were not significantly affected by the exposure conditions. Conclusions: Noise in ICUs impairs sleep and the reduction of maximal A-weighted levels from 64 to 56 dB is not enough to have a clear improved effect on sleep quality. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Intensive care, noise, sound, sleep, cortisol, arousal, experimental
in
Sleep Medicine
volume
14
issue
12
pages
1334 - 1340
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:84888137624
  • pmid:24095263
  • wos:000327538300018
ISSN
1878-5506
DOI
10.1016/j.sleep.2013.07.011
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c8348593-c534-4ec5-a887-c0ab50e160e9 (old id 4359150)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 13:34:35
date last changed
2023-11-14 14:37:15
@article{c8348593-c534-4ec5-a887-c0ab50e160e9,
  abstract     = {{Objective: Uninterrupted sleep is of vital importance for restoration and regaining health. In intensive care units (ICUs) where recovering and healing is crucial, patients' sleep often is fragmented and disturbed due to noise from activities from oneself, other patients, and alarms. The aim of our study was to explore if sleep could be improved by modifying the sound environment in a way that is practically feasible in ICUs. Methods: We studied the effects of originally recorded ICU noise and peak reduced ICU noise on sleep in healthy male participants. Sleep was registered with polysomnography (PSG) during four nights: one adaptation night, one reference (REF) night, and the two exposed nights with similar equivalent sound levels (47 dB L-Aeq) but different maximum sound levels (56- vs 64-dB L-AFmax). The participants answered questionnaires and saliva cortisol was sampled in the morning. Results: During ICU exposure nights, sleep was more fragmented with less slow-wave sleep (SWS), more arousals, and more time awake. The effects of reduced maximum sound level were minor. The subjective data supported the polysomnographic findings, though cortisol levels were not significantly affected by the exposure conditions. Conclusions: Noise in ICUs impairs sleep and the reduction of maximal A-weighted levels from 64 to 56 dB is not enough to have a clear improved effect on sleep quality. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Persson Waye, Kerstin and Elmenhorst, EM and Croy, I and Pedersen, Eja}},
  issn         = {{1878-5506}},
  keywords     = {{Intensive care; noise; sound; sleep; cortisol; arousal; experimental}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1334--1340}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Sleep Medicine}},
  title        = {{Improvement of intensive care unit sound environment and analyses of consequences on sleep: an experimental study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2013.07.011}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.sleep.2013.07.011}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}