Environmental Exposures in a Clinical Setting and Their Impact on Patient Sleep and Health

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how environmental factors such as air quality, noise, and light inside hospital wards affect patient sleep and health. The study focuses on hospital environments, which are complex and where patients may stay for extended periods. Poor or disrupted sleep can negatively impact recovery, and environmental disturbances like noise and irregular light cycles may disrupt patients' circadian rhythms and sleep quality. The study uses sound level meters, air quality sensors, and light meters placed in hospital wards to measure environmental conditions like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, noise volume, and light levels. Patients admitted for at least two nights will wear two monitors: an actigraphy device to track sleep patterns and a second device to measure heart rate and body temperature. Data from these devices will be compared to environmental measurements to assess links between hospital conditions and sleep. Participants will keep a sleep diary during their hospital stay, noting sleep times, awakenings, and any disturbances from light or noise. The study will record sleep duration, efficiency, latency, and awakenings for up to seven days or until discharge or ward transfer. Environmental data collection will continue for about one and a half years, while patient monitoring focuses on their time in the hospital. The goal is to understand environmental impacts on sleep and suggest improvements for hospital settings to support patient recovery.

Hospital Environmental Exposure