The assessment of sleep patterns in cases of chronic neurological conditions that require monitorization in the intensive care unit

Sleep is a temporary period of unconsciousness within the circadian endogenous rhythm of 24 hours, in which the person may be woken through sensual or other stimuli. Sleep is affected by several factors such as age, concomitant disease, environment, life style, stress, alcohol and smoking, eating habits. Sleep is a circadian rhythm which restores strength and physical and mental energy. Many neurological diseases severely derogate the total period and quality of sleep. Sleep disorders are often encountered especially along with neurodegenerative conditions such as stroke, dementia, advanced mobility disorders, encephalopathy, neuropathy, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig?s disease). For these patients, derogated sleep patterns cause chronic tiredness, restlessness, difficulty in concentration, illusions and hallucinations, morning headaches, reduced motor and cognitive functions, depression and drowsiness during the day. Sleep disorders caused by all these neurological conditions derogate the original sleep pattern and prevents the beneficial effects of sleep from presenting. In this study, it has been aimed to observe sleep patterns of neurological patients in the Neurology Intensive Care Unit (N-ICU) with the help of an ambulatory polysomnography device, identify the pathology and study its effect on the quality of living. It was observed that in ICU patients, REM stage was reduced and NREM stage1 and NREM stage2 were increased. The primary reasons why superficial sleep stages are more frequent and deep sleep stages are less are the type and acuteness of the disease, the pathophysiology of the acute disease and the environmental factors of the ICU. It is important to note that cases of the patients under observation in the ICU being treated for the primary disease present increased sleep deprivation and derogated sleep quality. Knowing the importance of sleep in healthy individuals is being able to present its effect in the recovery process more clearly. Whatever the primary disease, the changes in the sleep patterns of the patients in ICU are actually not very different from each other. The important point is not to ignore this fact and to be able to provide the necessary treatments.Keywords: Sleep, intensive care unit, neurological disease, polysomnography, quality of life