Observational assessment of patient's sleep complaints in the coronary care unit.

Sleep-wake disorders are common in patients who are treated in coronary care units (CCU). We report a clinical trial aimed at developing an observational assessment of patients sleep complaints in a CCU. Thirty-four inpatients with coronary heart diseases in the CCU (Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital) participated in the study. The patient's sleep state was assessed by nursing staff and classified as wakefulness, drowsy and asleep according to a semi-structured observation. Subjective sleep feelings upon rising was also investigated. Sleep disruptions during the latter half of the night was found to be an important determining factor of sleep feeling upon rising.