Non-pharmacologic nursing interventions to reduce delirium risk and promote quality sleep

The average ICU patient sleeps less than two hours/day with as many as 61% reporting sleep deprivation, placing it among the most common ICU stressors. Sleep disturbances, lack of sleep and sleep disruption are common in older adults and a core risk factors for delirium. Significant reductions and fragmentation of sleep lead to an absence of restorative sleep. A significant amount of invasive care known to be a major risk contributor to the development of delirium occurs in the ICU. Nurses should be able to identify delirium risk factors earlier and contribute greatly to their prevention by promoting good sleep hygiene interventions.