title: Noise in hospital rooms and sleep disturbance in hospitalized medical patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hospitalized patients are vulnerable to sleep disturbances because of environmental stresses including noise. While most previous studies on hospital noise and sleep have been performed for medical machines in intensive care units, there is a limited data for patients hospitalized in medical wardrooms. The purpose of present study was to measure noise level of medical wardrooms, identify patient-perceived sources of noise, and to examine the association between noise levels and sleep disturbances in hospitalized patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Noise dosimeters were used to measure noise level in 29 inpatient wardrooms at a university hospital. Sleep pattern and disturbance were assessed in 103 hospitalized patients, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean equivalent continuous noise level for 24 hours was 63.5 decibel A (dBA), which was far higher than 30 dBA recommended by the World Health Organization for hospital wardrooms. Other patients sharing a room were perceived as the most common source of noise by the patients, which was usually preventable. Of the patients in the study, 86% had bad sleep as assessed by the PSQI. The sleep disturbance was significantly correlated with increasing noise levels in a dose response manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systemic organizational interventions are needed to keep wardrooms private and quiet to reduce sleep disturbance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Marn Joon
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Medical Center, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Wook
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Chungnam Workers' Health Center, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo-Chul
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ha
keywords: Hospital noise; Medical wardrooms; Perceived noise; Quality assurance; Sleep disturbance