Factors affecting how patients sleep in the hospital environment.

Promoting an environment conductive to sleep in hospital is a challenge. Although patients may appear to sleep in hospital, it may not be refreshing or restorative. The reasons for this can be categorized into three groups: environmental, physiological and psychological. These factors can work concomitantly, making sleep virtually impossible for some patients. Nurses can help their patients by understanding what influences sleep patterns and acting on this knowledge. This may include a variety of interventions, from allowing patients to carry out their own bedtime routine, to explaining to elderly people how their sleeping patterns changes with age.