Quality and quantity of sleep in multipatient versus single-room ICUs

Sleep fragmentation and deprivation is common in ICU patients [1]. It is assumed that the ICU environment (overexposure to sound and light during night-time) leads to disturbed sleep [2]. In our hospital, a new ICU was built with quiet, single-patient rooms with much daylight. This created an opportunity to study the effects of nursing environment on sleep quality and quantity in ICU patients.