Sleep Promotion for Preterm Infants in the NICU.

Sleep is a crucial human physiologic need. Preterm infants in the NICU are exposed to noxious stimuli that often disrupt and shorten their sleep periods. Sleep disruption may have a negative effect on clinical outcomes, growth, and development and may also delay hospital discharge. Increasing evidence suggests that sleep quality is critical for brain development and synaptic plasticity and is associated with long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of sleep in preterm infants, describe tools commonly used to assess infant sleep and identify different sleep-wake states, and identify interventions that promote sleep in preterm infants in the NICU. Nurses play a vital role in implementing appropriate interventions that promote preterm infants' sleep.

One-year trial of 12-hour shifts in a non-intensive care unit and an intensive care unit in a public hospital: a qualitative study of 24 nurses' experiences.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to provide recommendations to hospital owners and employee unions about developing efficient, sustainable and safe work-hour agreements. Employees at two clinics of a hospital, one a non-intensive care and the other a newborn intensive care unit (ICU), trialled 12-hour shifts on weekends for 1 year. METHODS: We systematically recorded the experiences of 24 nurses' working 12-hour shifts, 16 in the medical unit and 8 in the ICU for 1 year. All were interviewed before, during and at the end of the trial period. The interview material was recorded, transcribed to text and coded systematically. RESULTS: The experiences of working 12-hour shifts differed considerably between participants, especially those in the ICU. Their individual experiences differed in terms of health consequences, effects on their family, appreciation of extra weekends off, perceived effects on patients and perceived work task flexibility. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that individual preference for working 12-hour shifts is a function of own health situation, family situation, work load tolerance, degree of sleep problems, personality and other factors. If the goal is to recruit and retain nurses, nurses should be free to choose to work 12-hour shifts.

Occupational screening for sleep disorders in 12-h shift nurses using the Berlin Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The Berlin Questionnaire has been validated as a screening tool for sleep apnea in clinical samples, but no occupational studies have reported screening validity parameters for this instrument. The objectives of this pilot study were to describe the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing symptoms in registered nurses and examine the validity of the Berlin Questionnaire to screen for sleep apnea in this chronically partially sleep-deprived group. Validity parameters for the Berlin Questionnaire are tabulated for published studies to 2012. METHODS: Twenty-one female nurses working full time 12-h shifts underwent overnight, in-laboratory polysomnography to identify sleep disorders and completed a Berlin Questionnaire. RESULTS: By polysomnogram, the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing [Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) ≥ 5] was 43 %, although by the Berlin Questionnaire only 24 % were deemed high risk. The sensitivity of the Berlin Questionnaire to detect high-risk subjects (RDI > 5) was 0.33, with a specificity of 0.83, a positive predictive value of 0.60, and negative predictive value of 0.63. Berlin criterion 3 (obesity or hypertension) performed the best for predicting sleep apnea in 12-h shift nurses. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Berlin Questionnaire produced valuable data about symptoms of sleep apnea in this population, it had a high proportion of false negatives. To improve its sensitivity for screening health care workers for sleep apnea, it must better capture symptoms specific to this population. Increasing the weighting of Berlin criterion 3 items should be considered to improve its psychometric properties.

"And mostly they have a need for sleeping pills": physicians' views on treatment of sleep disorders with drugs in nursing homes.

The percentage of nursing home residents treated with hypnotic medications is high, as many authors report, despite the fact that such medications are almost always associated with undesirable effects for old people. This article takes a closer look at nursing home physicians' views of prescriptions when treating sleep disorders of nursing home residents. How do physicians characterize the treatment strategy for residents suffering from sleep disorders? How do they balance the benefits and risks of the hypnotic medication? Under what circumstances do they accept negative consequences? To answer these questions, N=20 physicians (aged 36 to 68 years) in 16 nursing homes in a German city were interviewed. The physicians were either employed by nursing homes or worked on a contract basis. Comparative categorization of the data produced a typology across cases. Three interpretative patterns concerning the use of drugs for treating sleep disorders were identified--"by request," "ambivalence," and "reflected prescription." Differences between them were determined by the significance of residents' wishes, neglect of risks, particularly that of addiction, and the attempt to balance benefits and disadvantages. The study showed deficits in professional management of sleep disorders in nursing homes.

The role of melatonin in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing haemodialysis.

Patients with chronic kidney disease including those undergoing haemodialysis have deranged sleep-wake pattern. In large part this is due to an abnormal circadian cycle of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the evening and induces sleep. Subjects undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis or nocturnal haemodialysis have better sleep profile compared to those on daytime dialysis. Studies have shown that exogenous melatonin improves sleep-wake cycle in daytime haemodialysis patients. However, large randomised controlled trials are needed in order to establish its role in this patient population.

Sleep deprivation: consequences for students.

During the adolescent years, a delayed pattern of the sleep-wake cycle occurs. Many parents and health care providers are not aware that once established, these poor sleep habits can continue into adulthood. Early school hours start a pattern of sleep loss that begins a cycle of daytime sleepiness, which may affect mood, behavior, and increase risk for accidents or injury. These sleep-deprived habits established in adolescence can often lead to problems during college years. Sleep hygiene can be initiated to help break the cycle, along with education and implementation of a strict regimen. Monitoring all adolescents and college-aged students for sleep insufficiency is imperative to improve both academic and emotional well-being.

'When they sleep, they sleep': daytime activities and sleep disorders in nursing homes.

Are nurses aware that activities can reduce residents' daytime sleepiness and increase sleep quality at night in nursing homes? This question is studied in a project focusing on sleep disorders and multi-morbidity in long-term care. In Germany, episodic interviews with 32 nursing staff members (age 24-60 years) with different qualifications addressed their views on links between residents' daytime structure and activities and their sleep/disorders. Three interpretive and activity patterns (intervention; missed opportunity; ignorance) were found, which differ in relation to how far the interviewees motivate residents' activity. Implications for a training program based on these different premises are discussed.

Factors associated with sleep-wake disturbances in child and adult survivors of pediatric brain tumors: a review.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with sleep-wake disturbances in pediatric and adult survivors (aged older than 18 years) of pediatric brain tumors. DATA SOURCES: A computerized literature search was completed using MEDLINE, CINAHL, CancerLit, Dissertation Abstracts International, and PsycINFO. The search and a personal communication with one author discovered 25 English-language research articles and case reports describing sleep-wake patterns in brain tumor survivors from 1966-2008. DATA SYNTHESIS: Disease- and treatment-related factors from direct injury to the hypothalamus results in irregular melatonin secretion and low hypocretin levels. This contributes to decreased daytime alertness, which remains the most reported sleep-wake disturbance in brain tumor survivors. Patients with craniopharyngiomas, radiation dose more than 3,500 cGy, and younger age at time of treatment experienced more severe sleep dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with brain tumors experience a disruption of sleep-wake patterns associated with major dysfunction in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, affecting both Process S (homeostasis) and Process C (circadian) from the Two-Process Model of Sleep Regulation. Various demographic-, disease-, and treatment-related variables are involved in driving the onset of sleep disturbances. Interventions are needed to improve daytime function and decrease the effect of sleep disturbances on quality of life. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Current sleep literature has identified patterns of sleep disturbances in cross-sectional studies of brain tumor survivors. Rigorous longitudinal designs are needed for future studies to detect onset patterns and trajectory of sleep-wake disorders. Intervention studies are needed to impact excessive daytime sleepiness, irregular sleeping and waking patterns, and other identified sleep-wake disorders.