At Singapore National University Hospital, nurses used JBI Best Practice Evidence Summaries to reduce night-time sleep disruption for new mothers, lifting best-practice compliance from 0% to 63.3% and improving maternal rest and recovery.
Sleep disruption is a common and significant challenge for women during the antenatal and postnatal periods, with serious implications for both physical and psychological health. Poor sleep has been linked to postpartum depression, reduced emotional coping, and increased risk of complications including pre-term birth, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and caesarean delivery.
In busy maternity wards, these challenges are often intensified. At Singapore National University Hospital, expectant mothers experienced frequent sleep interruptions due to environmental factors such as noise, lighting, clinical monitoring, and ward activity, alongside anxiety related to their health and that of their baby.
Recognizing the impact on patient wellbeing, the nursing team sought to identify evidence-based strategies to improve sleep quality for mothers in their care.
The challenge: night-time procedures disrupting maternal sleep
Despite awareness of the issue, there was no standardized approach to promoting sleep within the ward. Night-time clinical activities — including vital signs monitoring, CTG monitoring, and blood collection — were identified as the primary cause of disruption.
A survey of staff and patients confirmed the extent of the problem:
- 56% of mothers identified night-time procedures as the main cause of sleep disruption.
- 88.9% of nurses reported the same.
- Equipment alarms and environmental noise were also significant contributors.
Without clear guidance or protocols, practices varied and opportunities to support rest and recovery were often missed.
The solution: JBI Best Practice
The team turned to JBI Best Practice Evidence Summaries to identify effective, evidence-based strategies for sleep promotion.
These summaries provided clear, actionable recommendations that could be applied in a real-world clinical setting. Key evidence highlighted the importance of:
- Reducing environmental noise
- Adjusting lighting levels
- Implementing a multi-faceted approach to sleep promotion
Using this evidence as a foundation, the team designed and implemented a structured intervention aligned with the JBI Model of Evidence-based Healthcare and the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework.
Interventions included:
- Dimming lights during night-time hours
- Reducing alarm volumes where possible
- Providing earplugs
- Clustering care activities to minimize interruptions
- Adjusting medication timing when feasible
JBI Best Practice Evidence Summaries played a critical role in translating research into practical actions, enabling the team to implement changes with confidence and consistency.