Sleep Hygiene Intervention for Women Hospitalized during Antepartum

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a hospital-based sleep hygiene protocol on sleep quality for high-risk women hospitalized during antepartum. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study on an antepartum unit in Southeast Texas, the control group received usual care; the intervention group received usual care plus a sleep hygiene intervention including education and a sleep hygiene kit. Outcome measures included validated sleep and symptom questionnaires, and sleep diaries over 7 days. Data were analyzed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: There were 80 participants, 40 in the control group and 40 in the intervention group. They averaged 31.5 years and 28.0 weeks gestation. Both groups had clinically significant baseline sleep disturbances. Women in the intervention group showed improvements in subjective outcomes: waking up feeling pleasant, feeling refreshed, and spent fewer minutes awake on their final night. Anxiety and stress ranked lower as a sleep disturbance in the intervention group. No differences were found for global sleep quality scores or sleep duration. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The sleep hygiene intervention enhanced subjective sleep quality and patient experience. Structured sleep hygiene protocols provide clinically significant benefits for hospitalized antepartum women and lend support for use in routine patient care. Future research should include larger randomized trials with objective sleep measures.