Effect of Eye Masks and Ear Plugs on Quality of Sleep of Patients in Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Sleep has physiologic importance and adequate sleep is necessary for the maintenance of good health and well-being of all patients especially the critically ill. The study aimed to test the effect of eye masks and ear plugs on the quality of sleep among patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICU) and to identify the factors affecting the quality of sleep in ICU. An experimental cross-over design was adopted. Fourty subjects were selected using consecutive sampling from the Cardiac ICU, Neuro ICU, and Surgical ICU of the hospital. The tools used were the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) to assess the quality of sleep and the Visual Analogue Scale to measure factors causing sleep disturbance in the ICU. Results showed that eye mask and ear plug were effective in improving sleep among patients in ICU. While sleeping without interventions all of the subjects in ICU reported poor sleep. After using the eye mask and ear plugs 27.5 percent of subjects reported very good sleep 65 percent of subjects reported good sleep and only 7.5 percent had poor sleep. The mean score and standard deviation of quality of sleep of patients in ICU increased from 17.90 ±3.90 to 36.87±4.09 while sleeping with eye mask and ear plugs. This increase was significant at a 0.05 level of significance with a p value of 0.000. Eye masks and ear plugs were effective in improving sleep among patients in ICU. The most important factor affecting the quality of sleep of patients in ICU was light followed by anxiety, pain and alarms. The study concluded that Intensive care nurses have to use eye mask and ear plug for ICU patients to promote sleep which will help in reducing the use of sedatives. Nurses should take measures to reduce light and sound in ICU during night time and take measures to reduce anxiety and pain effectively for promoting sleep.