Older men's experiences of sleep in the hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the sleep experiences of older patients during a period of hospitalization on an extended care ward.


BACKGROUND
Hospital wards have been demonstrated as environments that are not conducive to sleep for patients. Findings highlight the difficulties of falling asleep and getting insufficient sleep as the major causes of sleep disturbances. Such studies limit themselves to patients of Intensive Care Units and acute care settings. Relatively little is known about understanding the sleep experiences of older patients whilst hospitalized on extended care wards.


METHODS
An exploratory qualitative design was used with a convenience sample of six Chinese male informants, recruited from an extended care ward of a Rehabilitation Hospital in Hong Kong. Multiple data collection methods were used, including repeated semi-structured interviews and a one-week sleep diary.


RESULTS
The findings demonstrated that all informants experienced dynamic changes in their sleeping patterns during hospitalization, resulting in sleep disruption and deprivation. The public nature of the ward environment and perceived sense of helplessness significantly interfered with sleep. Some cultural beliefs and practices were perceived by older patients to be associated with the quality of their sleep experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings contributed to an understanding of the sleep experiences of older patients during hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
Implications for nursing practice indicate the significance of including focused sleep assessment of patients during admission into the ward, so strategies perceived by older patients as being able to improve sleep would be included as part of the usual ward routine and nursing practice, where possible.
Lee
Chau Yuen
CY
Master of Nursing Graduate, Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Low
Lisa Pau Le
LP
Twinn
Sheila
S
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D015984:Causality; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006380:Helplessness, Learned; D006723:Hong Kong; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008571:Men / Q000523:psychology*; D009551:Night Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010550:Personal Space; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires