Sleep Characteristics of Parents of Children in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Observational Study
Hyejung Lee, Hyeryeong Lee, Sanghun Jung, Ai Soon ParkABSTRACT
Background
Parents of children hospitalised in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) exhibit poor sleep quality due to stress from the child's illness, uncertainty and changing family roles.
Aims
We aimed to utilise two subjective and one objective measurement to examine sleep characteristics among parents of children in the PICU and explore possible contributing factors, including parental stress.
Study Design
This observational pilot study assessed parents of children in the PICU in South Korea using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the General Sleep Disturbance Scale (GSDS). Sleep‐related parameters were measured for 3 nights using an actigraph. The Parental Stress Scale:PICU was used to assess stress levels.
Results
A total of 18 parents participated in the study. Sleep quality was poor on both PSQI and GSDS, and their total sleep scores did not correlate with any actigraphy parameter. Only the GSDS daytime function subscale suggested associations with sleep efficiency ( p = 0.04) and wake after sleep onset ( p = 0.04). Parents averaged 5.73 h of sleep per night, with a sleep efficiency of 86.8%. The most prominent stressors were changes in parental roles and the child's appearance, while stress levels were not significantly related to sleep. No single factor influenced sleep across all tools; rather, different factors, including parent characteristics and length of stay, exerted an influence that varied by measurement tool. All participants completed the actigraphy protocol, proving its feasibility.
Conclusions
Factors influencing parental sleep varied by measurement tool, suggesting that subjective and objective sleep measures may capture different aspects of sleep in parents. As this was a pilot study for hypothesis generation and feasibility, the findings require further validation in larger‐scale studies.
Relevance to Clinical Practice
A comprehensive assessment that integrates objective and subjective sleep measures could improve the understanding of sleep among PICU parents and inform effective support strategies.