Effect of reducing sensory and environmental stimuli during hospitalized premature infant sleep

Abstract

Objective: To compare the total sleep time of premature infant in the presence or absence of reducing sensory and environmental stimuli in the neonatal unit. Method: Longitudinal study in a Neonatal Intermediate Care Unit of a public hospital in Sao Paulo. The sample consisted of 13 premature infants. We used polysomnograph and unstructured observation for data collection. We analyzed 240 and 1200 minutes corresponding to the periods of the presence and absence of environmental management, respectively. Data were compared in proportion to the total sleep time in the two moments proposed by the study. Results: The total sleep time in periods without environmental management was on average 696.4 (+/- 112.1) minutes and with management 168.5 (+/- 27.9) minutes, proportionally premature infant slept an average of 70.2% during periods with no intervention and 58.0% without management (p=0.002). Conclusion: Reducing stimulation and handling of premature infant environment periods was effective to provide greater total sleep time.