Effect of Eye Masks, Earplugs, and Quiet Time Protocol on Sleep Quality of Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit: A Clinical Trial Study

Background: There are several factors such as noise and light, which affect the sleep quality of patients admitted to the cardiac care unit (CCU) and cause sleep disorders in these individuals. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of applying eye masks and earplugs as well as implementing the quiet time (QT) protocol on the sleep quality of patients hospitalized in the CCU of Ali Ibn Abi Talib Hospital in Zahedan. Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 135 CCU patients. Subjects meeting the inclusion criteria were chosen through convenience sampling. The patients were divided into three groups (control, eye mask and earplugs, and QT protocol) and were matched in terms of background variables. The subjects were studied over three days after admission. On the first night, the patients’ sleep quality was determined by the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale (VSH), and on the second and third nights, the interventions (eye mask and earplugs and QT protocol) were administered. The next day, as the post-test, patients’ sleep quality was measured again. ANOVA test was used to determine and compare the mean sleep quality of the three groups, and the chi-square test was employed to compare the qualitative variables in the three groups. Results: After the intervention, the mean score of sleep disturbance was significantly different between the control and the two experimental groups. Also, the mean score of sleep efficacy was higher in the eye mask and earplugs group than the other two groups, indicating a better sleep quality in this group. Conclusions: As low-cost devices with no side effects, eye masks and earplugs can improve the quality of sleep in [CCU] patients, and nurses could utilize them to help reduce environmental factors, which disturb patients’ sleep.