What is a key feature in care planing for patients with sleep disorders?
A key feature of patient care planning that may reduce the incidence of sleep problems is to offer patients choices about when to go to bed, get up, and have their meals. Most people sleep better if they can observe a sleeping and waking schedule that they are accustomed to. Staff convenience or staff shortages are not good reasons for adhering to inflexible institution-wide bedtimes and rising times that may not accord with patients’ individual preferences. To the extent possible, consider individuals’ sleeping habits when matching patients with roommates (e.g., try to avoid putting an early riser and a late sleeper in the same room). • When is pharmacological therapy appropriate? Drug therapy for a sleep disorder is indicated when nonpharmacologic interventions, adjustment of other medications, and treatment of underlying medical conditions are insufficient to alleviate the problem. Combining drug therapy with educational, behavioral, and cognitive approaches may reduce the utilizati
