A systematic review published in iScience indicates that sound-based interventions may significantly enhance sleep quality for hospitalized adults. The review, led by Helga Rafael Henriques from the Lisbon School of Nursing, analyzed data from fifteen studies involving over 2,000 patients. It found that music, white noise, and nature sounds were associated with a substantial improvement in self-reported sleep quality.
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Sleep is critical for physical and mental health, yet hospital environments can disrupt it through constant alarms, staff conversations, and harsh lighting. Poor sleep can lead to serious health issues, including cardiovascular problems, cognitive disturbances, increased anxiety, and compromised immune functions. Research highlighted in the review suggests that sleep disturbances might persist for up to a year after patients leave the hospital, emphasizing the need for effective interventions during their stay.
Historically, the importance of acoustic environments in hospitals has been recognized, dating back to the writings of Florence Nightingale. Past studies have explored the use of soothing sounds to aid sleep, yet this review is the first to quantitatively compare various types of sound-based interventions across both intensive care and general wards. The authors followed a structured PICO framework and registered their protocol with PROSPERO, searching prominent medical databases and narrowing down to fifteen studies published between 2012 and 2026.
The analysis showed a pooled standardized mean difference of 1.71 in sleep quality, with significant and positive results across randomized and quasi-experimental studies. However, the authors acknowledged notable variability among studies, including differences in sound type and intervention duration, which could affect results. Most included studies lacked blinding and had varying quality scores, raising questions about their methodological rigor.
The review also discusses potential mechanisms behind why sound might help. Continuous background sounds may reduce the perceived impact of disruptive noises, while calming music could activate pathways that promote relaxation. The combination of sound with other interventions produced varied outcomes, suggesting further research is needed to confirm synergy.
For healthcare providers, the findings support a straightforward, cost-effective pathway to enhance patient care. Recommendations include assessing individual sound preferences, utilizing headphones or bedside speakers to avoid disturbing others, and documenting patient responses. Despite the inherent challenges of hospital noise, which often exceeds recommended levels, tailored sound-based interventions present a promising opportunity for improving patient sleep quality.
The authors call for larger, more rigorously designed trials to solidify these findings and encourage the integration of sound-based therapies as a routine practice in hospital settings.