Actigraphy-Based Assessment of Sleep Parameters in Intensive Care Unit Patients Receiving Respiratory Support Therapy

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate sleep parameters and to identify differences according to respiratory support therapy, sedation, and pain medication in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.Methods : In this observational study, sleep parameters were measured using actigraphy. We observed 45 sleep events in 30 ICU patients receiving respiratory support therapy. We measured the sleep parameters, time, efficiency, and wakefulness after sleep onset (WASO). The differences in sleep parameters according to the respiratory support therapy were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test.Results : The average daily sleep time of the participants was 776.66±276.71 minutes, of which more than 60% accounted for daytime sleep. During night sleep, the duration of WASO was 156.93±107.91 minutes, and the frequency of WASO was 26.02±25.82 times. The high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) group had a significantly shorter night sleep time (χ2=7.86, p =.049), a greater number of WASO (χ2=5.69, p =.128), and a longer WASO duration (χ2=8.75, p =.033) than groups of other respiratory therapies.Conclusion : ICU patients on respiratory support therapy experienced sleep disturbances such as disrupted circadian rhythm and sleep fragmentation. Among respiratory support regimens, HFNC was associated with poor sleep parameters, which appears to be associated with the insufficient use of analgesics. The results of this study warrant the development of interventions that can improve sleep in ICU patients receiving respiratory support, including HFNC.