Effects of humidity, heat, noise and light levels on sleep quality and comfort in patients admitted to the intensive care unit

SUMMARY This study was conducted to determine the effects of environmental factors such as humidity, heat, noise, and light levels on sleep quality and comfort levels in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Conducted with a descriptive and correlational design, this study was carried out between July 2023 and July 2024 in the general intensive care unit, cardiovascular surgery intensive care unit, and coronary intensive care unit of a private hospital in Istanbul. The sample of the study consisted of 89 patients who met the inclusion criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate. Data were collected using the Patient Information Form, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ), and the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ); environmental factors were systematically assessed at the bedside using calibrated digital measuring devices and recorded in the Humidity, Heat, Noise and Light Level Recording Form. Measurements were taken at the same time intervals over two consecutive days, and statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS v27 program. As a result of the analyses, no statistically significant difference was found between the GCS, humidity, heat, noise, and light levels measured on the 3rd and 4th days after ICU admission (p > 0.05). However, it was determined that humidity, heat, and noise—among the environmental factors—showed some weak but significant correlations with the subdimensions of comfort. In particular, on the second day, heat showed negative correlations with the subdimensions of relief, relaxation, psychospiritual, and sociocultural comfort, while showing positive correlations with the subdimensions of transcendence and environmental comfort (p < 0.05). Noise level was found to have a positive correlation with relief and a negative correlation with the sense of transcendence (p < 0.05). Although no direct significant relationship was found between environmental factors and sleep quality, changes in comfort levels were observed to be influenced by environmental stimuli. The findings reveal that environmental factors in the intensive care environment have multidimensional effects on patient comfort. In this context, nursing practices aimed at improving the physical environment may be effective in increasing patient satisfaction and quality of care. Keywords: Environmental factors, noise, nursing care, light, heat, comfort, humidity, sleep quality, intensive care unit.