Sleeping at a hospital is a challenge as you cannot change that environment with ease. At the same time, you must get enough sleep to ensure that you heal faster. Although the hospital bed, craftmatic mattress, and beddings are not your perfect choice. Studies show that patients that are admitted at the hospital are the most sleep-deprived. Plus, it is a constant challenge and it affects the healing process for most of them. Fortunately, some hospitals are trying to ensure that their patients get as much sleep as they could by ensuring that they minimize night checks. However, the challenges are still noticeable. Here are ways that can help boost sleep during a hospital stay until you can leave.
Discuss with staff
Talking to the staff always helps them know how to help you feel better faster. This includes the doctors and nurses who are assigned to take care of you and coordinate various things until you feel better. Through this, the staff will help you know if any night-time policies have been incorporated to aid better sleep at night. However, letting them know that sleep is important to you is the first step to help boost your sleep during your hospital stay. The considerate staff will ensure that you have minimal disturbance at night and still have all the tests and medication you require.
Have dim lights
Have the lights dimmed or switched off to your admission room to prepare your brain that it is time to sleep. Through this, your body can be in a better position to fall asleep fast. However, it may be challenging with hospital monitors and other lightings that are used in the hospital to control how they affect you. You can go with a sleep mask that will help you sleep better and you can shun off any unnecessary lights. By doing this you will get some sleep, quicken the healing process and maintain your sleep routine until your admission is over.
Enjoy some natural light
Another great way to boost your sleep during a hospital stay. Is by getting some light during the day. Natural sunlight, especially in the morning, is the best for patients just as it is for infants. Depending on what you are ailing from you can seek assistance to stay next to a window that has penetrating sunlight. Also, you can take a walk outside or with the use of a wheelchair to get the benefits of this natural light that makes you feel better. This will help set your circadian rhythm and regulate the hormone that helps you sleep at night. Try this or advise you’re loved once in the hospital to ensure they get better sleep at night.
Relax
It is crucial to relax when you are at the hospital to help calm your brain in preparation for sleep. The stress and anxiety of what may be or how things back at home are faring on will only keep you up at night and make you have less sleep. Relax by praying silently, meditating or reading a book if possible to calm you down, feel restful with the mattress firmness like your usual bed at home and keep off any worries that will occupy your mind. Remember the hospital is a safe place and silence is observed allowing you to practice any of your relaxation techniques.
Consult on the medication
As a patient, you have the right to know the medication you are taking and what are the side effects. For instance, if there is medication that keeps you awake you can request that it is rescheduled to be taken during the day. However, some are scheduled for the night but you can discuss more with your doctor to see if there are any alternatives. It is important to know why you are not sleeping while at the hospital. For example, if it is due to pain, you can ask for your pain medication at bedtime to make it easier for you to sleep. By any chance, you keep on waking up at night for no apparent reason request for medication to help you stay asleep for longer. Note that this way of boosting your sleep in hospital should be at par with the hospital rules and doctors’ orders.
Use your white noise app
Since in hospital rooms you have other people around you. It tends to be noisy especially during visiting hours or during doctors round. Other noises from the nurses or other hospital staff do interrupt your sleep or nap. Therefore, you can mask the noise by using your white noise app on your phone or MP3 player. This will help capture unnecessary noise especially during the
day when there is a lot of movement around the hospital corridors and you want to catch some sleep.
Keep your sleep routine
When accustomed to a certain routine when you’re not in the hospital. It is hard to flow into another because you are sick. However, you can try to follow it by staying awake during the day and sleep only at night. Avoid the day time naps especially if you are not used to them. However, since you are not feeling well when tired or in pain you catch a nap for a few minutes but one that will not interfere with your sleep at night. Keep the doors to your room closed if possible to block out the noise in the hallways and other rooms.
In conclusion, the above ways are helpful to boost your stay at the hospital. Therefore, when recovering from an illness or medical procedure you heal faster when you can sleep. However, some mishaps hinder your sleep as much as the hospital can improve on some of their policies. For instance, side effects from medication may make you stay awake, general fluorescent lights, noises around the halls too. Depending on the illness or procedure that you are recovering from. Get some quality rest when possible and where you can prepare the prior plan in a way you can get some rest at the hospital.
