Carol Hewart and Loveday Fethney describe the changes being implemented at one trust to ensure patients have a better chance of getting a good night’s rest

There is much research concerning the psychological and physical effects of sleep deprivation on patients in healthcare systems, yet interrupted sleep on hospital wards at night remains a problem. Staff at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Devon, wanted to identify the factors that prevent patients from sleeping well at night. Two audits were carried out, between April and August 2015, to assess noise and light levels on wards at night, and to engage nurses in ways of reducing these. A number of recommendations were made based on the audit findings, many of which have been put into practice.