Borås study - Noise causes sleep disruption

At the Intensive Care Unit of Borås Hospital, Sweden, a group of researchers studied how critically ill patients are affected by sound. They found that the high sound pressure levels and noise peaks make the patients stressed and less able to sleep. And sleep is one of the most important aspects of recovery.

In the research study you will learn, that by having a proper room acoustic environment, you will:

Check mark Reduce sleep disruption

Check mark Reduce medication intake

Check mark Improve speech communication

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References:

Nightingale F. Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not. London: Gerald Duckworth Ltd 1859

Busch-Vishniac et al., “Noise Levels in John Hopkins Hospital”, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Dec 2005, 118(6), p3629-3645

Weise, “Investigation of patient perception of hospital noise and sound level measurements: before, during and after renovations of a hospital wing”, Architectural engineering – Dissertations and Student Research, 2010, Paper 4, p7

Berg, “Impact of reduced reverberation time on sound-induced arousals during sleep”, Sleep, 2001, vol 24, no 3, p289-292

Hagerman et al., “Influence of intensive coronary care acoustics on the quality of care and physiological state of patients”, International Journal of Cardiology, Feb 2005, 98(2), p267-270

Orellana, Busch-Vishniac, West, “Noise in the adult emergency department of Johns Hopkins Hospital”, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, Apr 2007, 121(4), p1996-1999

Berglund et al., “Guidelines for community noise”, Technical Report 1999, World Health Organization

Johansson L, et al.: Noise in the ICU patient room – staff knowledge and clinical improvements. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing (2016).

Ibid.

Ibid p. 5, table 4

The Swedish standard SS25268 does not include 125 Hz.

R. Plomp and A. J. Duquesnoy: Room acoustics for the hearing impaired, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 71, S19 (2005)

Johansson L, et al: Evaluation of a sound environment intervention in an ICU: A feasibility study, Australian Critical Care (2017)