Restless sleep can mean slower recoveries, new research published this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine says. Researcher Orfeu Buxton said research has proved disrupted sleep and sedative-aided sleep are associated with hypertension, attention and memory deficits, depressed moods and more return visits to the hospital. To combat the racket, many hospitals make noise reduction a priority when planning new facilities. David Kuhlmann, a sleep specialist at Missouri's Bothwell Regional Health Center, said facilities should keep taking steps to ease patients' stays, especially for those who are most at risk.
