The need of sleep by patients with cardiovascular disease in ICU

Lately, attention has been focused on sleep problems. Poor quality sleep, insomnia or intentional sleep shortening are risk factors for cardiovascular disease development, overweight, diabetes and mental disorders. During hospitalization in the ICU the sleep quality in patients usually worsens not only because the disease itself but also owing to other factors, such as fear, anxiety, lack of information on the disease, unfamiliar environment or noisy monitors. The theoretical part is divided into five basic chapters as follows: sleep characteristics, the issue of sleep, cardiovascular disease, meeting sleep needs in patients in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit and the intervention of a nurse in meeting sleep needs in the sleep laboratory. I set two objectives in my thesis: The first objective: to learn if sleep needs in patients in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit are met. The second objective: to identify factors influencing the fulfilment of sleep needs in patients in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit. Two hypotheses were suggested: The hypothesis I: sleep needs in patients hospitalized in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit are not met, The hypothesis II: the most percieved factor influencing sleep in patients in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit was the change of environment. To achieve the objectives I used the questionnaire method. The research set included patients hospitalized in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit in the České Budějovice hospital, Inc. The obtained data analysis shows that sleep needs in patients hospitalized in the cardiologic Intensive Care Unit are not met. The most stressful factors are: the change of environment, monitor noisiness, lights switched on at night, uncomfortable beds and anxiety. The hypotheses were confirmed. The objectives of my thesis were accomplished. In the closing part of my thesis I suggest some solutions to improve patients´ feelings and meet their sleep needs, such as dim lights at night, turned down monitoring apparatuses alarm, patients activation during the day, a calming dialogue with the patient, bed making and airing the room before night. I also enclose some attachments treating the issue of sleep needs