Knowledge, attitude, and practices of pediatric healthcare workers toward healthy sleep in hospitalized children

Sleep plays a vital role in pediatric health, particularly for hospitalized children. Sleep disruption is common among hospitalized children and may affect recovery and well-being, with both patients and their parents experiencing reduced sleep duration and fragmented sleep patterns compared with the home environment. Prolonged sleep disturbance during hospitalization has been associated with impaired recovery, emotional distress, and adverse developmental and behavioral outcomes. Environmental factors within hospital settings, including noise from alarms, pain, medical equipment, staff conversations, and routine nighttime care activities, are well-recognized contributors to sleep disruption in pediatric inpatients. Research has indicated that healthcare workers may lack sufficient knowledge about sleep. Despite growing awareness of the importance of sleep for child health, formal education on sleep-supportive practices remains limited among healthcare professionals. Insufficient training may contribute to uncertainty in implementing effective sleep-promoting strategies in hospital environments. This study aimed to assess pediatric healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward sleep in hospitalized children and to explore factors associated with sleep-related knowledge and perceptions. A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdullah Specialised Children’s Hospital, a large tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through the validated Potential Hospital Sleep Disruption and Noise Questionnaire (PHSDNQ), then analyzed via IBM SPSS version 29.0.0 between March 1st 2024 and June 30 2024. We included 200 participants; mean age 28.9 ± 6.4 years. Drawing blood (3.36 ± 0.71) and pain (3.31 ± 0.74) were the two highest-rated sleep disruptors. Closing doors (61%) and reducing unnecessary alarms (55%) were rated “very effective.” Sleep-education hours were significantly associated with higher knowledge (p = 0.022). Participants recognized the importance of inpatient sleep and endorsed simple environmental strategies. However, limited sleep education suggests a need for training programs to enhance practical approaches to promote better sleep-in pediatric inpatients.