If you have ever spent the night in a hospital bed, you know it is a terrible place to sleep. People come in throughout the night and wake you up to take your temperature, pulse and blood pressure.
Investigators in Chicago point out that sleep disruption can contribute to disorientation, delirium and elevated blood pressure. Their study of nearly 50,000 patients showed that almost half of the overnight vital signs taken were for patients at very low risk of complications. They suggest that letting those patients sleep through the night would be better for the patients. It would also allow scarce health care resources to be devoted to patients in trouble, who really need the closer monitoring.
[JAMA Internal Medicine, online July 1, 2013]
If you’d like to learn more about getting your zzs, whether at home or in the hospital, we offer our Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.
