Sleep is essential for good health and yet the worst place to get a good night’s sleep is in a hospital bed. The World Health Organization recommends that hospital rooms should keep the noise level below 30 to 40 decibels. But a new study shows that noise in American hospital rooms averages 50 decibels and may get as loud as 80 decibels. That is about as loud as a ringing alarm clock or a vacuum cleaner. The study was conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center and found that the noisiest rooms were linked, not surprisingly, to poor sleep for the patients. That could delay their recovery. Hospital administrators may not consider noise when they make decisions. For example, high-tech beds that are designed to prevent pressure ulcers can be noisy when they frequently change position. Patients should ask hospital staff to shut their door when they leave. Taking ear plugs to the hospital could also help against night noise.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, online January 9, 2012]
