Light Levels in ICU Patient Rooms: Dimming of Daytime Light in Occupied Rooms

Elizabeth R Lusczek; Melissa P Knauert

doi:10.1177/23743735211033104

Light Levels in ICU Patient Rooms: Dimming of Daytime Light in Occupied Rooms

J Patient Exp. 2021 Jul 23:8:23743735211033104. doi: 10.1177/23743735211033104. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Elizabeth R Lusczek¹, Melissa P Knauert²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
² Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Abstract

One-third of patients report disruption of sleep by overnight light. Importantly, light causes both immediate sleep disturbance and influences circadian function, a fundamental process underpinning high-quality sleep. Short bursts of light at night and/or lack of bright daytime light disrupt circadian alignment, leading to sleep deficiency. To improve understanding of 24-hour light patterns, we conducted a longitudinal study of light levels in intensive care unit (ICU) rooms. Over 450 room-days, we observed high variability, dim daytime light, and active dimming of natural sunlight in occupied rooms. Such noncircadian light patterns have multifactorial influences on sleep and are a key target for sleep improvement in the ICU.

Keywords: circadian; critical illness; intensive care unit; light; lux; sleep; sleep deficiency; sunlight.

Abstract

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