sleep quality

Background and Objectives Quality sleep is essential, and sleeping difficulty is a significant source of discomfort for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Many hospitalized patients suffer from anxiety. This study aimed to assess sleep quality and daytime sleepiness in ICU patients, evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and its relationship to sleep quality, and identify both environmental and non-environmental factors affecting sleep quality. Design and Methods A multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 267 ICU patients across six hospitals in the Czech Republic. Sleep-influencing factors were evaluated on the day of discharge using a modified Freedman questionnaire, while anxiety levels were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and multivariate regression (OPLS). Results Overall sleep quality in the ICU was significantly lower than at home (5.16 vs. 6.99, p < 0.001). Men reported better sleep quality than women (5.26 vs. 4.80, p < 0.001), and individuals over 60 experienced poorer sleep (5.99 vs. 6.17, p < 0.001). Sleep quality improved over the course of hospitalization (4.24 vs. 5.20 vs. 5.66, p < 0.001). Daytime sleepiness was linked to gender, with women reporting higher levels than men (5.02 vs. 5.50, p < 0.001), and increased with longer hospital stays (5.72 vs. 5.32 vs. 4.76, p < 0.001). A weak but statistically significant correlation was observed between sleep quality and daytime sleepiness (r = 0.206, p < 0.001), while a moderate inverse correlation was found between sleep quality and anxiety (R = -0.41, p = 0.001). Anxiety levels were unaffected by sex, age, or ICU type, but pain influenced anxiety presence. Anxiety was minimal in 73 patients, moderate in 155, and high in 39. The five factors most significantly disrupting sleep were medication administration (-0.804), pain (-0.623), noise (-0.588), light (-0.555), and nursing interventions (-0.504), based on component loadings. Conclusions Sleep quality and anxiety are closely connected, with sleep quality affected by and evolving over the length of hospitalization. Sleep disturbances in ICU patients stem from a range of multifactorial causes, including both environmental and non-environmental factors.