Ways to Improve Sleep for Patients

One of the common issues patients face during their treatment is sleep disturbances. The causes of this condition can be related to the underlying illness, medication use, or anxiety. Understanding the reasons behind sleep difficulties and ways to improve sleep for patients can enhance treatment effectiveness and improve quality of life.

1. Why are patients prone to sleep disturbances?

To determine how to care for a patient’s sleep, we need to understand the causes of their insomnia. Some people experience difficulty sleeping during their hospital stay. Various factors can lead to changes in normal sleep patterns, including physiological, psychological, and specific medical conditions. Some common causes of sleep difficulties for patients include:

Psychological Factors:

• Stress and Anxiety: Issues related to anxiety, stress about the illness, or depression can disrupt sleep. An unstable mental state can lead to difficulty falling asleep or shallow sleep.
• Depression: Depression can cause sleep disorders, including hypersomnia or insomnia.

Physiological Factors:

• Pain or Discomfort: Conditions that cause pain, such as arthritis or musculoskeletal issues, can make lying down uncomfortable and disrupt sleep.
• Hormonal Changes: Hormonal changes in the body, such as those experienced by women during menopause, can lead to insomnia or shallow sleep.

Underlying Medical Conditions:

• Respiratory Issues: Respiratory conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, or sleep apnea can reduce sleep quality due to breathing difficulties at night.
• Cardiovascular Issues: Cardiovascular problems, such as heart failure, can cause significant nighttime shortness of breath, affecting sleep and leading to frequent awakenings.
• Digestive Issues: Digestive problems like gastroesophageal reflux disease can cause painful symptoms or discomfort at night, disrupting sleep.
• Side Effects of Common Medications: Some medications can have side effects, including insomnia, shallow sleep, or interrupted sleep during the night.

Circadian Rhythm Disorders:

• Time Zone Changes: People who frequently change time zones, such as international travelers or frequent business travelers, may have difficulty maintaining a normal sleep cycle.
• Shift Work: Shift work or night shifts can disrupt the body’s biological clock, leading to challenges in falling asleep at night like others.

Lifestyle and Habits:

• Lack of Physical Activity: A sedentary lifestyle can decrease sleep quality, leading to difficulties sleeping at night.
• Use of Electronic Devices Before Sleep: Blue light from screens of electronic devices like phones and tablets can reduce melatonin production—a hormone that helps regulate sleep.

Other Factors:

• Genetic Factors: Recent evidence suggests that genetic factors may play a role in susceptibility to sleep disorders.
• Environmental Factors in Treatment Settings: The lighting in hospital rooms may be too bright at night or too dark during the day. Nighttime treatments and checks by healthcare staff can wake patients and lead to insomnia afterward.

Improving sleep for patients often requires a comprehensive approach, including lifestyle adjustments, changes in daily habits, or specialized treatment methods. If sleep disturbances are prolonged or severe, it is important to consult a doctor for advice.

 

2. What sleep issues are patients prone to experience?

Patients may experience various sleep-related issues depending on their specific health conditions. Here are some common sleep problems that patients are prone to:

• Insomnia: This condition involves difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep and is often seen in individuals with chronic illnesses such as anxiety disorders, depression, or certain cardiovascular and respiratory conditions.
• Sleep Apnea: Patients may exhibit symptoms of sleep apnea, which can occur in those who are obese or have respiratory issues like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• Restless Leg Syndrome: This condition is characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs, causing an irresistible urge to move, which disrupts sleep.
• Bruxism: Patients may grind their teeth or clench their jaws while sleeping. This condition is often associated with stress or anxiety disorders.
• Medication-Induced Sleep Disorders: Some medications can have side effects that lead to sleep disturbances, including antidepressants, antihypertensives, and pain relievers.
• Sleepwalking: This involves walking or performing other actions while asleep without awareness.
• Nightmares and Night Terrors: Patients may frequently experience nightmares or night terrors. This can occur in anyone, especially those suffering from prolonged stress or depression.
• Circadian Rhythm Disorders: Conditions such as shift work or frequent time zone changes can disrupt the body’s biological clock, negatively affecting sleep and causing insomnia.
• Sleep Paralysis: This condition occurs when a patient is unable to move or speak while waking up or falling asleep.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the sleep disorders listed above, it is important to consult a specialist to identify the underlying causes and find appropriate sleep care methods.

3. Some ways to improve sleep for patients

To improve sleep for patients, you can implement the following methods:

Avoid caffeine before bedtime: Products containing caffeine include tea, coffee, cocoa, and some sodas. Caffeine is a stimulant that can make you feel more awake, and its effects can last for 3 to 4 hours. Caffeine can interfere with sleep and increase feelings of restlessness. Therefore, to improve sleep for patients, it’s best to limit total caffeine intake throughout the day.

Avoid alcoholic beverages 4 to 6 hours before sleep: Alcoholic drinks can induce drowsiness initially, but as the effects wear off, withdrawal can lead to restlessness and awakenings during the night. Additionally, drinking alcohol at night can cause nocturia—the need to wake up to urinate—which also disrupts sleep.

Try not to smoke before bedtime or during nighttime awakenings: Similar to caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant and can also lead to difficulty sleeping.

Relax before going to sleep: If you are in a comfortable mood before bedtime, you may find it easier to fall asleep. To improve sleep for patients, consider relaxation methods such as reading, listening to soothing music, or soaking your feet in warm water with ginger and salt.

Avoid vigorous exercise within 2 hours of bedtime: Regular activities like walking can enhance physical and mental health. However, to improve sleep for patients, it’s advisable to avoid vigorous exercise within 2 hours of bedtime, as this can make it harder to sleep.

Keep the bedroom quiet and comfortable: Reducing clutter and keeping the bedroom tidy can also help improve sleep for patients.

Maintain a suitable room temperature: A high room temperature can disrupt normal sleep and increase feelings of restlessness. If possible, it’s best to keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature according to individual preferences.

Minimize noise and light in the bedroom: Light and noise in a hospital environment can disturb sleep. To improve sleep for patients, close windows, use earplugs, or move to a quieter room if noise is an issue. It’s essential to have a dark room with curtains or blinds to block streetlight or daylight. In some cases, using an eye mask may help reduce the impact of light from the hospital environment.

Establish and maintain a daily routine: Trying to maintain a consistent schedule for waking and sleeping can also help improve sleep for patients.

Practice deep breathing exercises: Deep breathing can help relax the mind, relieve stress, and improve sleep quality. You can practice this whenever you feel stressed or anxious.

• Sit comfortably in a chair or lie in bed, using a few pillows for support if lying down.
• Place one hand on your belly, just above your navel. Right-handed individuals should use their right hand, and left-handed individuals should use their left hand.
• Exhale completely through your mouth. If possible, you may close your eyes and inhale slowly and deeply through your nose.
• Pause for a few seconds. Then, exhale slowly through your mouth or nose, trying to release all the air and imagining it leaving your lungs through your mouth or nose.
• Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times.

This article outlines various ways to care for patients’ sleep and some related considerations. You can flexibly apply these methods to improve patients’ sleep and maintain sustainable health. Additionally, you may consider supplementing with micronutrients intravenously to enhance memory and overall health.