Sleep monitoring techniques within Intensive Care

Sleep is an essential biological function that provides important restorative psycho-physiological processes. Patients in the Intensive Care Unit are highly vulnerable to sleep disturbance which can protract their recovery. Despite sleep disturbance being widely acknowledged amongst this patient cohort, the ability to make significant changes to minimise the burden of sleep deprivation remains a challenge. This is further compounded by the difficulties faced by clinicians to identify and implement accurate and feasible sleep monitoring techniques in the intensive care. Whilst objective, behavioural and subjective methods of sleep assessment exist, all have specific limitations when applied to critically ill patients. In an attempt to illuminate these issues, current sleep monitoring techniques are appraised.