Although sleep is imperative to biological function and of critical importance in the recovery process from acute illness, hospitalization is far from restful. Our prior work has demonstrated that hospitalization is a period of acute sleep deprivation for patients; nighttime noise levels in hospital rooms are often high and associated with clinically significant sleep loss, and that this sleep loss is associated with higher morning blood pressure. Furthermore, at the root of these sleep disruptions are modifiable factors, such as staff conversation and medical care interruptions.

SIESTA (Sleep for Inpatients: Empowering Staff to Act) is an educational program led by a multidisciplinary team that uses innovative educational methods grounded in experiential learning theory coupled with nudges in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to promote staff learning and behavior change to improve sleep for inpatients. Published in the January 2019 issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine, SIESTA was associated with more sleep-friendly orders for vitals and medications, fewer nighttime disruptions and room entries, as well as improved patient experience. SIESTA has also been featured in US News and World Report among other publications.