Sleep well in hospital

Everything about our physical and mental health is better when we sleep well. We know sleeping in hospital can be difficult so we encourage you to follow your usual sleep pattern as much as possible. Here are a few tips for you to follow:

Sleep well in hospital

Top tips for sleeping well in hospital

Everything about our physical and mental health is better when we sleep well. Here are a few tips that we hope you will find helpful:

  • Move about as much as you can during the day as this will help you to sleep better
  • Talk to staff about your usual getting ready for bed routine and bedtime, they will try to help you follow your usual pattern
  • Discuss with the nurse looking after you when and why they might need to wake you during the night
  • If you have a comforting item that helps you to sleep at home, ask staff whether you can bring it in
  • Use earplugs and an eye mask to reduce noise and light. Please ask your nurse for some if you would find them helpful 
  • If you have a mobile phone and earphones try using a relaxation, mindfulness or sleep app
  • Avoid looking at phone screens for an hour before sleep. Their blue light reduces natural sleepiness and keeps us awake
  • Sleep is hard to come by if you are hungry. Various snacks are available on the ward. Please don’t hesitate to ask for something to eat
  • Decaffeinated drinks are available to help you avoid caffeine. Caffeine keeps some people awake. Staff can also make you a drink using your own herbal or fruit teabags
  • Let a nurse know if you are hot, cold, worried, uncomfortable or in pain at any point during the night
  • Ask staff to adjust lighting or reduce noise – they really do want you to sleep well

We are sure you will understand that it might be necessary for staff to monitor you and to give you medicines or other care during the night. They will only wake you if it is absolutely necessary.

Sometimes patients near you will also have to receive care or be moved during the night. Other patients might need to be brought to the ward. Staff will try to do everything as quietly as possible.

If you feel you are not a good sleeper at home, free courses are available to help you sleep better. For example, Sleepstation https://www.sleepstation.org.uk/

Further information

For more information about tiredness and sleep click on the link below:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/