Sleep deprivation

=== Hospital stay ===
A study performed nationwide in the Netherlands found that general ward patients staying at the hospital experienced shorter total sleep (83 min. less), more night-time awakenings, and earlier awakenings compared to sleeping at home. Over 70% experienced being woken up by external causes, such as hospital staff (35.8%). Sleep-disturbing factors included the noise of other patients, medical devices, pain, and toilet visits.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Wesselius HM, van den Ende ES, Alsma J, Ter Maaten JC, Schuit SC, Stassen PM, de Vries OJ, Kaasjager KH, Haak HR, van Doormaal FF, Hoogerwerf JJ, Terwee CB, van de Ven PM, Bosch FH, van Someren EJ, Nanayakkara PW | title = Quality and Quantity of Sleep and Factors Associated With Sleep Disturbance in Hospitalized Patients | journal = JAMA Internal Medicine | volume = 178 | issue = 9 | pages = 1201–1208 | date = September 2018 | pmid = 30014139 | pmc = 6142965 | doi = 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.2669 }}</ref>  Sleep deprivation is even more severe in ICU patients, where the naturally occurring nocturnal peak of melatonin secretion was found to be absent, possibly causing the disruption in the normal sleep-wake cycle.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Shilo L, Dagan Y, Smorjik Y, Weinberg U, Dolev S, Komptel B, Balaum H, Shenkman L | title = Patients in the intensive care unit suffer from severe lack of sleep associated with loss of normal melatonin secretion pattern | journal = The American Journal of the Medical Sciences | volume = 317 | issue = 5 | pages = 278–281 | date = May 1999 | pmid = 10334113 | doi = 10.1016/s0002-9629(15)40528-2 }}</ref> However, as the personal characteristics and the clinical picture of hospital patients are so diverse, the possible solutions to improve sleep and circadian rhythmicity should be tailored to the individual and within the possibilities of the hospital ward. Multiple interventions could be considered to aid patient characteristics, improve hospital routines, or improve the hospital environment.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Tan X, van Egmond L, Partinen M, Lange T, Benedict C | title = A narrative review of interventions for improving sleep and reducing circadian disruption in medical inpatients | journal = Sleep Medicine | volume = 59 | pages = 42–50 | date = July 2019 | pmid = 30415906 | doi = 10.1016/j.sleep.2018.08.007 | doi-access = free }}</ref>