Sleep Quality of Intensive Care Patients

Sleep deprivation is common in intensive care. Impaired sleep quality and quantity and altered circadian rhythms have been observed. Polysomnography is the gold standard for sleep analysis. However, it is difficult to perform due to technical constraints and the lack of a consensus definition of the different stages of sleep for intensive care patients. Alternative methods to polysomnography would be useful for better defining sleep disturbances. There are many factors that can disrupt sleep, including environmental disturbances, sedative drugs, mechanical ventilation, and the severity of the condition that led to the patient's admission to intensive care. The consequences of this deprivation include immune system disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, and impaired functional recovery. Therapeutic management is currently limited, as no drug treatments have been shown to improve sleep quality. Furthermore, no ventilation method has been proven effective in improving sleep. Finally, regulating environmental disturbances-aiming to reduce light exposure, limit noise, and respect day/night rhythms-could improve sleep in intensive care patients. According to recent data, individual measures such as protective eye masks and earplugs have not improved patients' sleep architecture. The aim of our study is therefore to highlight the benefits of the withdrawal and rehabilitation unit (USR) in improving the quality of sleep in intensive care patients. The quality of sleep in intensive care patients in our department will be assessed using a questionnaire validated for intensive care patients, the Richard-Campbell questionnaire (RCSQ). We will also analyse various known risk factors for sleep disturbance in intensive care and USR patients.