Sleep in Critical Illness

For decades heavily sedated ICU patients were assumed to be asleep.  However, in the past 20 years, physiologic and epidemiologic studies have established sleep is frequently disrupted in the ICU.  The inter-relationship between ICU sleep, delirium, and survivorship has come to the forefront of ICU practice.  We now routinely aim for lighter sedation, delirium assessment has become standardized, and knowledge regarding the ICU factors leading to Post- Intensive Care Synd