What information should the practical nurse include as a related factor for the sleep rest pattern?

Insomnia is the disruption in the amount and quality of sleep to the extent that it impairs functioning. Inadequate sleep can have detrimental effects on a patient’s physical and mental well-being. Our bodies repair themselves when we sleep and sleep restores our mental clarity.

Insomnia can be temporary and will resolve once the cause is removed, such as a change in a work schedule, and is usually alleviated by simple adjustments. Chronic insomnia requires deeper assessment and often the use of sleeping medications. Nurses can institute ways to support sleep such as decreasing stimuli and blocking off time to ensure patient’s rest isn’t interrupted as well as educating patients on how they can enjoy better sleep at home.

  • Stress/depression/grief/anxiety 
  • Use of stimulants (caffeine, medications)  
  • Alcohol or substance abuse 
  • Disruption to normal routines that affects sleep patterns (travel, shift work) 
  • Poor sleep hygiene 
  • Physical discomfort (pain, gastrointestinal upset) 
  • Incontinence 
  • Environmental factors (room temperature, lighting, unfamiliar setting) 
  • Chronic health conditions (heart failure, hyperthyroidism) 

Signs and Symptoms (As evidenced by) 

Subjective: (Patient reports) 

  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep 
  • Restless sleep 
  • Poor sleep leading to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability 
  • Waking up too early 
  • Decreased health and quality of life 
  • Missing appointments, late for work or school 
  • Increase in errors or accidents 

Objective: (Nurse assesses) 

  • Observed tiredness, mood changes, lack of energy 
  • Appearance changes (disheveled dress, dark circles under eyes) 

Expected Outcomes

  • Patient will identify factors contributing to poor sleep patterns 
  • Patient will report averaging 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night 
  • Patient will report feeling rested and energized upon waking 

Nursing Assessment for Insomnia

1. Identify health conditions contributing to insomnia.
Chronic pain, shortness of breath, dementia, pregnancy, menopause, psychiatric conditions, narcolepsy, and incontinence can interrupt sleep patterns. Acute and chronic diseases and conditions should first be identified as these cannot always be adjusted.

2. Assess sleep patterns.
Assess when the patient normally goes to bed, what time they wake up, how long it takes them to fall asleep, and how many times they wake up during the night to provide baseline data.

3. Identify poor sleep hygiene behaviors.
The use of electronics before bed, napping during the day, irregular bedtimes, caffeine intake too late in the day, and sedentary lifestyles contribute to inadequate sleep.

4. Assess the use of stimulants or drug abuse.
Overuse of caffeine or the abuse of stimulants whether prescribed or not affects sleep patterns. The abuse of nicotine, alcohol, or drugs can cause insomnia.

5. Review medications.
Some medications have insomnia as a side effect. These include steroids, some antidepressants (SSRIs), drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease, some blood pressure medications, amphetamines used to treat ADHD, bronchodilators, and even over-the-counter medications to treat colds like decongestants.

6. Assess changes in schedules or life events.
The transition into a new job that requires shift work or frequent travel can disrupt sleep patterns. Parenting an infant also negatively affects sleep. These may all be temporary causes and can be adjusted to.

7. Assess for emotional trauma.
Suffering from a recent loss or experiencing grief, attempting to manage depression, or feeling anxious or stressed can lead to sleep dysfunction.

Nursing Interventions for Insomnia

1. Educate on basic sleep hygiene behaviors.
Instruct to establish a bedtime routine and stick to it. Restrict napping during the day if possible. Get up at the same time each day. Make the bedroom a place of relaxation only for sleeping, not working or watching tv. Getting adequate exercise is important, just not within a few hours of bedtime.

2. Suggest ways to improve the environment.
Room-darkening curtains can keep out bright light if needing to sleep during the day. Sleep occurs best when the room is kept cool; use a fan if needed. While quiet is usually recommended, if background noise is needed, a white noise machine or other soothing sounds can help.

3. Refer to a sleep specialist or discuss a sleep study.
Despite implementing proper sleep hygiene practices, if sleep is still elusive, a sleep study may be necessary. This can uncover issues such as obstructive sleep apnea which can cause insomnia and related symptoms even when receiving a full night’s sleep.

4. Discuss switching medications or regimens if appropriate.
The patient may not be aware that their medications cause insomnia. Educate first which medications carry this side effect. If discontinuing is not an option, consider taking the medication in the morning and not before bedtime.

5. Recommend keeping a sleep log or using a tracker.
Keeping a journal of the “lights off” time, wake time, number of hours slept, number of sleep interruptions, and the perceived quality of sleep can help identify patterns. There are also many digital sleep trackers and apps that can track these details.

6. Do not drink fluids right before bed or consume large meals.
If incontinence causes nocturia and sleep disruptions, limit fluids before bed. Consuming large meals too close to bedtime can impede digestion and lead to acid reflux which can prevent falling and staying asleep. Studies show caffeine should not be consumed within six hours of bedtime.

7. Recommend relaxing activities.
Part of a healthy bedtime routine is signaling to the mind and body that it’s time to shut down. Help the patient decide what’s best for them. This can include easy yoga and meditation, drinking chamomile tea, reading a relaxing book, or taking a warm bath.

8. Educate on sleep aid medications.
Melatonin is a natural sleep aid as the body produces it in control of the sleep-wake cycle. It is usually safe for most people to take and does not cause drowsiness and other side effects prescribed sleep aids can cause. Still, some patients require stronger medications such as Ambien or benzodiazepines.

9. Ensure chronic conditions are effectively treated.
Patients who struggle with insomnia as a secondary result of a chronic condition may be more difficult to treat. Ensure their underlying condition is effectively managed either through a specialist, medications, or other treatment.

10. Refer to a mental health professional for mindful sleep techniques.
Emotional challenges affecting sleep may require counseling. The use of techniques such as biofeedback, hypnosis, and guided meditations can be effective in thought training.

References and Sources

  1. Doenges, M. E., Moorhouse, M. F., & Murr, A. C. (2008). Nurse’s Pocket Guide Diagnoses, Prioritized Interventions, and Rationales (11th ed.). F. A. Davis Company.
  2. Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170
  3. Robinson, L., Smith, M., Segal, R., & Segal, J. (2021, June). Therapy for Sleep Disorders. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/therapy-for-sleep-disorders.htm
  4. Sleep Advisor. (2021, June 7). Sleep and Digestion – How to Improve Your Gut Health. Sleep Advisor. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.sleepadvisor.org/sleep-and-digestion/
  5. Suni, E. (2021, February 25). Sleep Diary: How and Why You Should Keep One. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-diary
  6. Tsai, S. (2017, March 1). Medicines That Can Cause Insomnia. National Jewish Health. Retrieved December 2, 2021, from https://www.nationaljewish.org/conditions/insomnia/causes/medicines-that-can-cause-insomnia

Poor sleep health is common in today's society and contributes to a wide array of health problems, decreases productivity, and increases the risk of accidents. Key sleep characteristics that should be assessed by clinicians include sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep timing, daytime alertness, and the absence of a sleep disorder. Examples of questions to be used by busy clinicians to quickly assess a patient's sleep health are provided. It is hoped that sleep health will be given the same level of attention as diet and exercise in clinic.

Keywords: Sleep, Lifestyle, Clinic, Assessment, Public health

Poor sleep health has become a common concern in our overworked, over-stimulated society. In fact, a third of adults in the United States (Liu et al., 2016) and Canada (Chaput et al., 2017a) sleep less than the 7 h per night, as recommended by public health authorities for optimal health benefits. Unfortunately, inadequate sleep is associated with a wide range of adverse health problems including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression. Further, inadequate sleep can lead to mistakes in the workplace, lower psychomotor performance, and increased risk for motor vehicle crashes. All together, poor sleep health is a significant burden to our health and economic sectors in injury and disability each year (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research et al., 2006).

The concept of “sleep health” is gaining momentum globally, and posits sleep characteristics on a continuum and not only as the presence or absence of sleep disorders (Buysse, 2014). The integration and prioritization of sleep health into the public health arena is under way (Chaput, in press), with a goal that it will become an equal counterpart to the attention and resources given to other lifestyle behaviors such as nutrition and physical activity. However, sleep health is rarely assessed in clinic. Yet, poor sleep health can be an important roadblock in many lifestyle and health-promoting interventions, and sleep health should be included as part of the lifestyle and general health assessment to the same level of attention as diet and exercise (St-Onge et al., 2016; Grandner and Malhotra, 2015). Sleep health can affect nutrition and physical activity, and this should also be assessed in clinic. This strategy aligns with an integrated approach to health (i.e., the whole day matters) that aims to examine the interconnections among all lifestyle behaviors and their combined influence on health outcomes (Chaput et al., 2017b).

Although a clinician may obtain a snapshot of whether sleep is an issue by asking “How is your sleep in general?”, this simple question risks underdiagnosing unrecognized sleep patterns that are negatively impacting a patient's health. Ideally, five key sleep characteristics should be assessed: sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep timing, daytime alertness, and the absence of a sleep disorder. Examples of questions to be used in clinic are provided (see Table 1). These questions have been selected from previous sleep health questionnaires, including the National Sleep Foundation's Sleep Health Index and the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. They are by no means comprehensive to fully assess the complexity of sleep but are meant to be practical for busy clinicians to quickly assess a patient's sleep health.

Six simple questions that can be included in the assessment of sleep health in clinic.

QuestionsDesired answers
1. How many hours do you sleep on an average night?7–9 h per night for adults
2. During the past month, how would you rate your sleep quality overall?Very good or fairly good
3. Do you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends?Yes, consistent sleep schedule in general
4. How likely is that you would fall asleep during the daytime without intending to or that you would struggle to stay awake while you were doing things?Unlikely
5. How often do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep?Never, rarely or sometimes
6. During the past 2 weeks, for about how many days did you have loud snoring?Never

Concerning answers should illicit a thorough history to identify root causes and barriers of healthy sleep. Factors could include excessive screen time, blue light exposure, consumption of wake-promoting substances, long work hours, shift work, family demands, social activities, and intercontinental travel. Screening for common sleep disorders should also be part of this sleep health assessment, because poor sleep health can be a consequence of sleep disorders. Among the solutions to improve sleep health, multicomponent behavioral interventions have shown to provide good results (Van Dyk et al., in press), especially individualized, pragmatic, problem-solving approaches using established behavioral principles as well as evidence-based treatment of sleep disorders.

Most patients will provide at least one undesired answer to the questions in Table 1. There is also a gradation in the severity of sleep health problems, with more attention and intense treatment needed with greater sleep problems (e.g., snoring once a week vs. every night). Whether clinicians should address the sleep issue first with behavioral interventions or provide a referral to a sleep specialist depends on: (i) What the sleep issue is and what are the contributing factors; (ii) Whether there is a suspected sleep disorder; and (iii) Whether the clinician has the training/competence to address the sleep issue. The informed decision-making approach for the order and nature of actions should be based on the information obtained during history taking. If the main contributing factors to poor sleep health appear to be behavioral/lifestyle/environmental, it could be addressed using targeted recommendations/interventions (ideally accompanied by qualified health care providers and a multidisciplinary team to evaluate and monitor the evolution of the patient). If there is indication that there may be an underlying sleep disorder, the patient should be provided evidence-based assessment and interventions according to clinical practice guidelines (and this may require a referral to a sleep specialist).

Suggestions on what to do for the questions listed in Table 1 include:

Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4: Ascertain why the patient is not getting enough sleep and of sufficient quality. Ascertain why the patient does not have a consistent or regular bedtime and wake-up routine. Address sleep hygiene (e.g., removing screens from the bedroom, reducing screen time exposure during the day, increasing physical activity level, making sure the bedroom is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool, reducing caffeine consumption, having a relaxing bedtime routine) if sleep deprivation or poor sleep quality is caused by poor sleep habits or modifiable environmental factors. Sleep hygiene should be individually tailored; for example, if a patient is sleep deprived because of non-modifiable environmental factors or life circumstances, naps can be helpful and sometimes essential for safety and global health. If the patient screens positive for common sleep disorders (e.g., insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea [OSA]), these sleep disorders should be assessed and treated (sleep hygiene is not an evidence-based treatment for sleep disorders).

Q5 (insomnia): If the patient has insomnia disorder the first-line treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (van Straten et al., 2018). Pharmacological options can be considered if CBT for insomnia has not solved the problem or if the patient does not want to or cannot pursue CBT.

Q6 (possible OSA): Red flags include loud snoring, episodes of breathing cessation during sleep, abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking, morning headache, and enlarged neck circumference (men: >43 cm [17 in.] and women: >37 cm [15 in.]). Order a sleep study if an OSA is suspected. If positive, referrals can be sent to a sleep physician who will consider evidence-based treatment options (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure [CPAP] machine) or the clinician can refer the patient to a dentist if oral appliance is a possible treatment option based on the characteristics of OSA and patient preference.

Just like any behavior change, it is important to identify the drivers for motivating the patient to make change. Is it to decrease fatigue? Is it to improve daytime functioning? Is it to help with weight? For example, individuals not getting enough sleep eat more, engage in more screen time, and tend to move less (Chaput, 2014). As a result, sleep deprivation has been shown to cause weight gain and obesity-related problems (Chaput, 2014). Although maintaining good sleeping habits is increasingly recognized as a good strategy to prevent future weight gain, healthy sleep is also important to improve the success of weight-loss interventions (Chaput and Tremblay, 2012). This means that patients not getting sufficient sleep can expect to lose less body fat compared to those who sleep the recommended amount for the same weight-loss program (Wang et al., in press). The idea that inadequate sleep may undermine the efficacy of weight-loss interventions is increasingly recognized and accepted by health care professionals and has found its way into clinical practice. For example, Obesity Canada (the largest obesity organization in the world) has endorsed the concept of addressing sleep for successful weight management in their set of practitioner tools – the 5As of Obesity Management (ask, assess, advise, agree and assist) (https://obesitycanada.ca/resources/5as/).

In summary, despite the well-known consequences of inadequate sleep on health, safety, and performance, sleep is often perceived as a luxury or a waste of time. There is strong evidence demonstrating the benefits of good sleep health and clinicians should be encouraged to discuss sleep and initiate treatment options with their patients. Unfortunately, sleep difficulties in primary care are often mismanaged and often not investigated at all (Ulmer et al., 2017). Addressing poor sleep health has proven to result in beneficial effects on quality of life and many health outcomes through positive impacts on physiological mechanisms and other lifestyle behaviors such as diet and physical activity.

The work of Dr. Chaput is supported by the CHEO Research Institute.

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