Medical News You Can Use: “Can I Please Get Some SLEEP!?!” Edition – Children’s Hospitals Lack Standards

As anyone who has been in a hospital – either as patient, or visitor – can attest, hospitals are NOT a place where rest occurs. And THAT! is a crying shame! For healing restoration can ONLY occur with proper rest, and that means SLEEP!

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Study Reveals An Absence Of Consistent Standards In Children’s Hospital Environments

The sound, light and temperature levels in European pediatric hospital wards often vary, highlighting the lack of consistent environmental standards, according to a new study presented at the Sleep and Breathing Conference held in April in Barcelona, Spain.

Quietude aids healing and restoration

Children and parents often suffer sleep deprivation when the environment on a ward is disruptive, which can affect disease recovery and quality of life in hospitalized children. There are no general consistent recommendations covering sound, light, and temperature levels to help guide hospitals across Europe.

Researchers measured these three factors in five pediatric wards in Santa Maria Hospital, Academic Medical Centre of Lisbon, for three days at five-minute intervals. They measured levels in wards and hallways and during the day and night, and compared these to different recommended values taken from a variety of sources, including legislation in Portugal and recommended standards of the World Health Organization and the European Commission.

In all wards the intensity of the sound was higher than recommended for 85% of the time evaluated. The temperature was also higher than recommended in the day time and at night. The lighting levels were as recommended for 85% of the time.

The researchers conclude that while some recommended environmental standards for environment in children’s wards do exist, they are not consistent and not always implemented.

Rosario Ferreira, an author of the study, said that “For anyone who has attended hospital with their children, they will know the difficulties that can occur in getting to sleep during what can be a difficult time. It is clear to us that while some rules about the environment in children’s wards do exist, the adherence to them is often poor.”