The Effect of Simultaneously Using Earplug and Eye mask on Quality of Sleep in Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study

One of the most important problems of patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) is their sleep quality. In these units, there are various visual and auditory discomfort factors that can negatively affect the outcome of the patient's treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of simultaneously using earplug and eye mask on the quality of sleep in hospitalized patients in the ICU. This study was performed on 73 patients who had been admitted to the ICU of Ghaem Hospital and Imam Reza Hospital in 2016 in Mashhad. Patients were randomly assigned to control (n = 37) and test (n = 36) groups. The test group used an earplug and an eye mask during their night's sleep. Patients' sleep quality was assessed by using Voran-Schneider-Halper's questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software. Independent t-test and Mann whitney U showed that before and after the intervention stage, no significant difference was observed between the test and control groups regarding the mean score of sleep quality. However, the results of Wilcoxon test showed a significant difference in the quality of sleep score in both groups before and after intervention (p <0.001). In this study, simultaneous use of earplug and eye mask was effective in improving the quality of sleep in patients admitted to the ICU. Therefore, this technique can be used as a simple, low-cost, and effective method in helping patients to prevent complications from sleep disorders.