PROMOTION OF SLEEP HYGIENE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE IN THE INTENSIVE CARE SETTING

Abstract

This article aimed to report the experience of promoting sleep hygiene in patients with heart failure admitted to intensive care units, highlighting the importance of this practice in multiprofessional care. This is a descriptive, narrative, and reflective study, developed from care experiences in the field of cardiology that occurred in 2025, recorded in a field diary, systematized into clinical vignettes, and interpreted through thematic analysis. The experiences presented involved two patients, Luís and Inácio, whose difficulties sleeping revealed clinical, emotional, medication-related, bodily, and institutional aspects associated with ICU hospitalization. The main results showed that insomnia, when listened to beyond the immediate complaint, can function as a sign of suffering and open pathways for integrated interventions by the multiprofessional care team. It is concluded that sleep hygiene should be recognized as part of comprehensive care for critically ill patients with heart failure, as it contributes to clinical recovery, mental health, treatment adherence, and the quality of care in intensive care.