Sleep disturbances and functional independence improvement in a population of individuals hospitalized in intensive rehabilitation units: Observational study

Introduction: Quality of sleep in hospitals is an important issue, especially for rehabilitation patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of sleep disturbances in a population of individuals hospitalized in intensive rehabilitation units and to investigate relationship with functional independence. Material and methods: The sample was evaluated with the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS-IT) and Bartel Index (IcaBI) three times: at admission (t0), seven days after admission (t1), and 25 days after admission (t2). The variation in sleep quality between t0-t1-t2 was calculated by performing a paired samples t-test between the scores' averages. A comparison of the functional independence level evaluated thorugh IcaBI of subjects with and without sleep disorders according to GSDS-IT cut-off points was performed via an independent samples t-test between the averages of the scores obtained on the IcaBI at times t0 and t2. Results: 138 individuals were included in the study, 77 of whom completed the evaluation at t2. Comparison of the mean scores on the GSDS-IT showed a statistically significant worsening of the quality of sleep between t0-t1-t2 (p < 0.01). Comparison of the mean scores on the IcaBI showed a statistically significant improvement in functional independence between t0-t1-t2 (p < 0.01). The results showed no significant difference between those with or without sleep disorders in terms of improvement of IcaBI scores after 25 days of hospitalization. Conclusions: This study represent a starting point in highlighting the development of sleep disturbances during hospitalization in rehabilitation units, raising awareness about the importance of adequate sleep among vulnerable hospital population.