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Timing and Duration of Sleep in Hospitalized Children: An Observational Study
Timing and Duration of Sleep in Hospitalized Children: An Observational Study
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sleep during hospitalization is important, but data on
children’s sleep quality during hospitalization are lacking. We sought to document sleep duration
and awakenings in hospitalized children and explore associations between sleep and chronic care
complexity, home sleep quality, and late-night food consumption.
METHODS: Children aged 2 to 17 years admitted to a hospitalist service for at least 24 hours were
approached for participation. Children were video recorded from 20:00 to 08:00. Paired
investigators reviewed recordings and extracted data. Investigators blinded to sleep data separately
extracted clinical and demographic information. Analyses included Spearman correlations and
linear and generalized linear regression models with t and Wald x 2 tests.
RESULTS: The mean time subjects (n 5 57) initiated sleep was 22:35 (range: 20:00–02:47), with a
mean sleep duration of 475 minutes (89–719 minutes). Subjects awakened 2.2 times (0–7 times,
SD: 1.9) per night, on average, with the average total time awake during those awakenings of
55.7 minutes (2–352 minutes, SD: 75 minutes). In multivariate analysis, children with private
insurance had longer sleep duration. Additionally, subjects who ate a snack after 21:00 went to sleep
much later (odds ratio: 9.5; confidence interval: 2.6 to 34.9) and had 64 minutes less total sleep time
and spent less time in bed than patients who did not eat late (P 5 .007).
CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized children sleep less than recommended and experience frequent
awakenings. Some demographic variables are related to sleep. Many hospitalized children also
consume food at night, which is associated with later bedtime and less sleep. Future efforts to
improve sleep in hospitalized children are needed.
www.hospitalpediatrics.org
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1542/hpeds.2018-0236
Copyright © 2019 by the American Academy of Pediatrics
Address correspondence to Michael J. Steiner, MD, MPH, Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine,
231 MacNider Hall, 333 S. Columbia St, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: msteiner@med.unc.edu
HOSPITAL PEDIATRICS (ISSN Numbers: Print, 2154-1663; Online, 2154-1671).
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
FUNDING: No external funding.
b
Department of Pediatrics, POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
School of Medicine,
c Ms Cowherd conceptualized and designed the study, designed the data collection instruments, coordinated and performed data
Department of Biostatistics,
Gillings School of Global
collection, and drafted the initial manuscript; Drs Sutton and Vincent supervised data collection, coordinated and performed data
Public Health, collection, and reviewed and revised the manuscript; Mr Humphries coordinated and performed data collection; Mr Ritter and Dr Fine
a
The University of North supervised the analysis and interpretation of the data and reviewed and revised the manuscript; Dr Steiner conceptualized and
Carolina at Chapel Hill, designed the study, conducted initial analyses, and reviewed and revised the manuscript; and all authors approved the final manuscript
Chapel Hill, North Carolina as submitted.
334 COWHERD et al
DISCUSSION
African American (AA) subjects had less was no longer associated with total sleep Children in the hospital have late bedtimes,
total sleep (399 minutes for AA subjects time or time awake during the night experience multiple awakenings during the
versus 515 minutes for white subjects, P , (Table 2). However, insurance status night, and average ,8 hours of sleep. Sleep
.001) and more time awake during the night continued to be associated with less total duration in our study was not associated
(106 minutes for AA subjects versus sleep time. Children with Medicaid had with patient age, although average sleep
36 minutes for white subjects, P 5 .006). 52 less minutes of sleep than those with duration in our cohort was less than that
Similarly, children insured by Medicaid had private insurance (P 5 .046). This estimate recommended by clinical guidelines for all
less total sleep time (Medicaid: 437 minutes; corresponds to the regression coefficient included ages. Our cohort’s inadequate
private: 502 minutes; Tricare: 553 minutes; for the linear model for the total sleep time sleep disproportionately impacts younger
P 5 .014), more awakenings, and more time outcome. children because they generally need more
awake (Medicaid: 78 minutes; private: sleep. Additionally, we found that
33 minutes; Tricare: 17 minutes; P 5 .058). Chronic Complexity and Hospital hospitalized children go to sleep on average
Age was not associated with any sleep Sleep Outcomes at 22:35, which is markedly later than would
outcomes, including time to bed, sleep time, In unadjusted analysis, CCT score was be expected for children at home. Late
or awakenings. Similarly, home sleep positively associated with the number of bedtime has implications for early-morning
characteristics per TCSQ were not awakenings (r 5 0.30, P 5 .01) and also medical activities, such as team-based
associated with sleep in the hospital, total time awake during the night (r 5 0.39, rounds in patient rooms.
including bedtime, total sleep time, P 5 .04) but was not associated with total Sleep awakenings in the hospital can be
awakenings, or time awake. sleep time. Specific diagnoses were not caused by symptoms, necessary medical
In multivariate analysis including race, significantly associated with sleep care, hospital logistics, families sleeping in
insurance, CCT score, and bedtime, race outcomes. A Poisson regression was fit to the same room, and numerous other
336 COWHERD et al
factors. In our sample, children averaged awakening after sleep initiation in our be a surrogate for socioeconomic status. It
just over 2 awakenings per night, much observations was a staff member entering has been shown in previous research that
fewer than the 14 awakenings per night or exiting the room.12–16 children from low-resource families have
previously reported in pediatric oncology In contrast with previous studies, children’s less total sleep time and later bedtimes
patients, who may require increased sleep at home as estimated by the TCSQ than children living in families with higher
monitoring or lengthy infusions compared score did not correlate with sleep in the socioeconomic status, consistent with our
with patients on a general pediatrics findings that children with Medicaid
hospital.20,21 That is, even children who were
service.12 Although our patients had fewer
“good sleepers” by this validated measure insurance averaged almost an hour less
awakenings, they also had a late bedtime sleep than children with private insurance.24
slept relatively poorly while hospitalized.
and short total sleep duration. Sleep Authors of future research should explore
Age was also not significantly associated
awakenings, bedtime, and sleep duration
with total sleep time. why this inequity would exist in a hospital
are related. Children who go to bed early
AA children tend to have later bedtimes and setting and identify ways to mitigate it.
and sleep longer would predictably have
more opportunity for awakenings. Likely sleep less than their white counterparts.21–24 In unadjusted analysis, increasing CCT
neither going to bed early and having more In our study, hospitalized AA children had score, used in this study as a marker for
awakenings or going to bed late and having less total sleep time and were awake more baseline medical complexity, was associated
fewer awakenings is helpful for achieving during the night. However, these differences with more awakenings and more total time
high-quality sleep. As reported elsewhere in diminished when adjusting for other awake during the night. However, the
the literature, the most common cause for factors, including insurance type, which can relationship between CCT score and sleep in
338 COWHERD et al
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2018-0236.DCSupplemental
References This article cites 23 articles, 1 of which you can access for free at:
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Hospital Pediatrics is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A monthly
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