Over across the ocean, sleep may become more of a priority in hospitals. If you have spent a night or more in the hospital, I’m sure you can recall how noisy it can get, making it a difficult place to get much needed rest.
Hospitals are a place people go to get better, yet as the hospital gets busier it can be hard to get high-quality care. Patients have to deal with staff conversation, pagers going off, and other patient’s alarms as they try to get shut-eye.
According to Daily Mail, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is suggesting that nurses be banned from talking loudly, wearing squeaky shoes, and refrain from waking up patients from sleep during the night for checks. They are also asking that quiet signs, slow-closing doors and bins be installed at hospitals constantly keep the noise level on the floors as low as possible. Nurses would also carry ear plugs at night so that patients have easy access to them.
Sleep deprivation increases the risk for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, constant pain, aggressive behavior and it also delays the time it takes for wounds to heal.
Making sleep in hospitals more of a priority could benefit everyone who needs healthcare. A similar initiative was put in place at Western Sussex hospitals last year and it has resulted in less complaints regarding noise from patients.
Think about your last hospital visit, did you get any rest? It may be time to follow the lead of hospitals overseas and take a stance for better sleep as you are trying to heal.
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