الفهرس 
Normal Sleep Architecture
Distribution of Sleep Stages across the NightOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
Abstract
Sleep is considered to be an essential biological function to maintain physiological and emotional wellbeing.
The importance of sleep in patient recovery can be
deprioritized in ICU due to the need to meet increasingly
complex care requirements. Sleep disturbance has emerged as an indicator for adverse clinical outcomes and in turn should not be viewed as a passive physical state but rather acknowledged as an important bio-physiological process.
Sleep disturbance is commonly encountered amongst intensive care patients and has significant psychophysiological effects, which protract recovery and increases mortality. Bio-physiological monitoring of intensive care patients reveal alterations in sleep architecture, with reduced sleep quality and continuity.
The etiological causes of sleep disturbance are considered to be multifactorial, although environmental stressors namely, noise, light and clinical care interactions have been frequently cited in both subjective and objective
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studies. As a result, interventions are targeted towards modifiable factors to ameliorate their impact.
Despite decades of research identifying the impact of the clinical environment on ICU patients’ sleep, little has been accomplished in overcoming the factors that are purported to contribute to sleep disturbance.
Future research should be directed at identifying an accurate and feasible sleep monitoring method to facilitate the ability to implement strategies that endeavour to promote sleep and recovery, whilst decreasing the associated complications linked to sleep deprivation.