SLEEP DISORDER

Definition

A sleep disorder is a disruptive pattern of sleep that may include difficulty falling or staying asleep, falling asleep at inappropriate times, excessive total sleep time, or abnormal behaviors associated with sleep. Noise typically affects sleep at roughly 30 decibels, or about the background noise from an air conditioner. The louder or more frequently noise occurs, the worse one's sleep will be. CASE STUDY

The elderly, the ill, and shift workers are particularly vulnerable to noise-induced sleep disorders. Intuitively the lack of sleep impairs our general health and performance, but to what degree is not well understood. Nonetheless, most would agree that restful sleep is important and many of us are not getting enough of it.

Treatment

Ear plugs are one way to reduce noise from your environment. Common sense suggests that in addition to proper fit, comfort would be an important feature for an ear plug to be used when sleeping. Below are two summaries of respected scientific research that found ear plugs to be an effective means of improving sleep.

References

  1. Reducing the effects of noise in hospital, Haddock J. Nurs Stand 1994 Jul 20-26;8(43):25-8.
  2. Nihon Emergency Medicine Society Kanto Region 18 (2), 1997, Ando, Ishizuka, Kikuta et al.
A Study of the Benefit from Ear Plugs in Aiding the Sleep of Patients in Emergency Medical Centers

It is difficult for patients in emergency medical centers to get a good nights' sleep due to the unique environment. Before trying earplugs the researchers tried several other methods to reduce background noise, with minimal positive effect. Therefore, they decided to study the benefits of earplugs on noise-related sleep disorders, and there were two results from the study. First, ear plugs were found to be an effective method for improving noise-related sleep disorders. Second, the greatest obstacles to sleep were the sounds of voices and steps from medical staff. (Nihon Emergency Medicine Society Kanto Region 18 (2), 1997, Ando, Ishizuka, Kikuta et al.)

Reducing the Effects of Noise in Hospital

This article identifies noise as a factor in disturbing patients' sleep in hospital and discusses the usefulness of earplugs as a method of reducing perceptions of noise and enhancing sleep. A pilot study, comparing the quality and quantity of sleep in patients who used earplugs with those who did not, showed them to be an acceptable and effective method of facilitating sleep. (Nurs Stand 1994 Jul 20-26;8(43):25-8 Haddock J.)

Reducing the Effects of Noise in Hospital

This article identifies noise as a factor in disturbing patients' sleep in hospital and discusses the usefulness of earplugs as a method of reducing perceptions of noise and enhancing sleep. A pilot study, comparing the quality and quantity of sleep in patients who used earplugs with those who did not, showed them to be an acceptable and effective method of facilitating sleep. (Nurs Stand 1994 Jul 20-26;8(43):25-8 Haddock J.)

References

  1. Japan Emergency Medical Society of Kanto 18 (2), 1997, N. Ando, et al.
  2. Nurs Stand 1994 Jul 20-26;8(43):25-8, Reducing the effects of noise in hospital, Haddock J.
  3. Am J Crit Care 1999 Jul;8(4):210-9, Wallace CJ, Robins J, Alvord LS, Walker JM,
  4. World Health Organization, Community Noise, Edited by Birgitta Berglund & Thomas Lindvall Stockholm, Sweden, 1995.
  5. www.adam.com Updated by: Galit Kleiner-Fisman MD, FRCP(C), Department of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
  6. Berglund, B., & Lindvall, T. (Eds.). Community noise. Archives of the Center for Sensory Research, 1995, 2(1), 1-195.

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