Sleep promotion.

The aging process introduces many changes that affect the whole person, including sleep. Age-related changes in the nervous system, acute and chronic illnesses, medications, primary sleep disorders, and factors associated with hospitalization in the critical care unit are elements identified with sleep disturbance in the elderly patient hospitalized in the critical care unit. One of the most important challenges for critical care nurses is to promote a healing environment for elderly patients where they can obtain the sleep necessary for recovery. Potentially effective nursing interventions for sleep promotion are those caring interventions that focus on the body-mind connection, such as back massage, relaxing music, imagery, and muscle relaxation. Investigations of the effectiveness of nursing interventions for sleep promotion are needed.