Avaliação da qualidade do sono em cardiopatas hospitalizados por meio de dispositivos vestíveis: um estudo transversal.

Abstract

Introduction: Studies show that sleep duration and quality (SQ) influence the development of cardiovascular diseases. Patients with these conditions are frequently hospitalized, where the environment can further worsen SQ. In this scenario, health technologies such as wearable devices emerge as accessible alternatives to monitor SQ through physiological and behavioral data. Objective: To assess SQ in cardiology inpatients using wearable devices. Methods: This as a cross-sectional observational study conducted with cardiology patients admitted to the cardiology ward of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital (Natal, Brazil). Patients were assessed using a socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical questionnaire. Data on hospital length of stay and intensive care unit (ICU) stay were collected. Participants were then monitored for sleep using a wearable device until hospital discharge. Results: A total of 52 patients were included, of whom 96.2% were hospitalized due to myocardial infarction (MI), mostly men (71.2%), with a mean age of 60 years. The median hospital stay was 5 (2–7) days. Valid sleep monitoring data were obtained from 42 participants, of whom 50% had a total sleep time of less than 7 hours. During sleep, patients had an average of 1 nighttime awakening, lasting an average of 14.8 minutes. The percentages of light, deep, and REM sleep were 59.2±8.6%, 12.3±5.1%, and 15.0±6.9%, respectively. Additionally, all participants presented daytime sleepiness, sleeping at least once outside their usual nighttime sleep period. A correlation was identified between ICU stay and sleep variables, indicating that the longer the ICU stay, the lower the values of nighttime awakenings, total sleep time, and awake time in the ward. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed poor SQ among cardiology patients. Half of the sample had a sleep duration of less than 7 hours, and all participants presented excessive daytime sleepiness. This highlights the influence of intrinsic hospitalization factors, such as a noisy environment, frequent interruptions, and acute clinical conditions. Moreover, assessing SQ using wearable devices proved to be a feasible and potentially useful strategy in the hospital setting, especially among cardiac patients, as it enables continuous and non-invasive monitoring, contributing to a more comprehensive and patient-centered clinical approach. These findings also reinforce the importance of implementing sleep hygiene strategies in routine hospital care.