Night sleep in intensive care patients: An interpretive phenomenological study

The aim of the study is to determine how adult patients treated in the intensive care unit experience a night's sleep. This phenomenological study was conducted in a training hospital in Istanbul between May–October 2021. The sample consists of 10 intensive care patients treated in the third-level intensive care units for at least 24 h and volunteering to study participants. The data was obtained through in-depth interviews. All interviews were recorded and coded using thematic analysis. Three main themes were revealed: (a) Inadequate sleep at night; (b) factors that adversely affect night sleep; and (c) patients' expectation for improvement in night sleep (Fig. 1). It was determined that the night sleep of the patients treated in the intensive care unit was generally of poor quality and interrupted. Patients generally associated the cause of this situation with the physical environmental conditions in the intensive care unit, loud noises caused by the healthcare staff, and their emotional reactions. It was stated that some physical environment changes and psychological support to be made in the intensive care unit may positively affect sleep. Intensive care patients are unable to sleep at night due to multifactorial reasons. Noise in the intensive care unit is an important factor that prevents patients from sleeping. Guidance-recommended care is needed to ensure adequate sleep, but patients' feelings and concerns should also be addressed. It is recommended to increase awareness of the importance of quality sleep among healthcare staff.