Effect of noise and light levels on sleep of intensive care unit patients

Background Previous studies emphasized that the noise and light levels in intensive care units (ICUs) exceeded the recommended levels by the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency. This might disturb patients' sleep in these units. Aims and objectives The aim of this study is to explore the effect of noise and light levels on the perceived quality of sleep (QOS) of patients in ICUs. Design A cross‐sectional exploratory correlational design was used. Methods The noise and light levels were measured on an hourly basis from 10 pm to 6 am, and their impact on ICU patients' QOS was evaluated. Results The overall light level correlation with the overall QOS was statistically significant at an α level of .05, r (101) = − 0.35, P < .001. The Pearson correlation between the overall ICU nocturnal sound level and patients' overall perceived QOS was statistically significant at an α level of .05, r (101) = − 0.42, P