Despite the clear connection between sleep and recovery, sleep management is frequently omitted from hospital care protocols. Healthcare professionals often neglect sleep health, and hospital policies that emphasize efficiency—such as shared rooms and strict work protocols—exacerbate the issue. Shared patient rooms significantly contribute to sleep insufficiency in Korean hospitals by exposing patients to noise, light, and disturbances from others. Noise, in particular, induces cardiovascular stress, hearing impairment, and even immune suppression, raising serious concerns for elderly patients and those with existing sleep disorders [3].

The emerging field of hospital sleep medicine acknowledges the role of sleep in patient outcomes and strives to systematically address these concerns. It is imperative for hospitals to implement a sleep-focused care model to enhance patient recovery. Although nursing interventions—such as managing noise and light, and providing earplugs and sleep masks—are beneficial, they often fall short due to various factors, including environmental conditions, patient anxiety, pain, and illness severity, which all influence sleep quality [4].

To effectively improve sleep quality, hospitals must implement systemic changes such as soundproofing wards, adjusting lighting to align with circadian rhythms, modifying work processes, and reducing unnecessary nighttime interventions. While these adaptations may require substantial financial investment, the potential benefits—improved recovery rates, fewer readmissions, and increased patient satisfaction—could justify the costs. To implement a sleep-centered care model within financial and logistical constraints, hospitals can prioritize cost-effective interventions, such as providing earplugs, eye masks, and establishing designated quiet hours to promote patient rest. Selective soundproofing in high-priority areas like intensive care units (ICUs) and the use of adjustable LED lighting to support circadian rhythms can offer impactful yet budget-friendly improvements. Pilot programs can further validate these strategies, generating evidence for the gradual expansion of sleep-centered care throughout the hospital. Nonetheless, the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of these interventions warrant further investigation, especially in financially constrained hospitals.

Research indicates that up to 40% of high-risk patients, including those recovering from surgery or managing chronic conditions, suffer from undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia [5,6]. Left untreated, these individuals face an increased risk of fragmented sleep, cardiovascular complications, and respiratory failure, underscoring the importance of routine screening for sleep disorders. This issue is particularly critical for postoperative or critically ill patients, as undiagnosed OSA is linked to respiratory complications and higher readmission rates [7]. Despite these risks, routine screening for sleep disorders remains infrequent in Korean hospitals. It is imperative that hospitals implement regular screening, particularly for highrisk patients. Early diagnosis and management, such as administering continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, can significantly reduce readmissions within six months of discharge in patients with heart failure [8]. Key barriers to integrating routine sleep disorder screening in Korean hospitals include limited resources, a shortage of trained staff, and low awareness of the impact of sleep disorders on recovery. Addressing these challenges requires policy support for funding and staff training, along with awareness campaigns for healthcare providers. Standardizing screening tools and incorporating them into electronic health records could further streamline risk assessment and enhance patient outcomes.

The lack of training that healthcare providers receive on sleep and its role in patient recovery is concerning. Many medical schools allocate minimal time to sleep medicine, with a survey across several countries, including Korea, showing that medical schools provided an average of less than 2.5 hours of sleep education, and 27% of schools offered none [9]. Moreover, most nurses report receiving no formal training in sleep management during their education. This educational gap leaves healthcare professionals unequipped to recognize or manage sleep disorders, thus exacerbating the problem. Incorporating sleep medicine as a fundamental component of medical curricula is essential for enabling providers to diagnose sleep disorders and implement relevant treatments, such as care plan adjustments or initiating CPAP therapy. Sleep should be recognized as a critical vital sign, akin to monitoring blood pressure, heart rate, or body temperature for patient recovery.

Sleep disturbance poses a significant challenge in ICUs, where continuous noise and artificial lighting can severely disrupt patients’ sleep. Simple measures, such as lowering noise levels, can markedly improve sleep duration and quality, thereby enhancing patient outcomes [10]. Addressing sleep in the ICU can serve as a benchmark for enhancing sleep care across the entire hospital.

To achieve these changes, collaboration is essential among sleep specialists, hospital administrators, and policymakers. Sleep specialists should spearhead educational initiatives to equip healthcare providers with the necessary skills to effectively diagnose and manage sleep disorders. Sleep societies ought to popularize hospital sleep medicine by organizing workshops, seminars, and conferences that engage both healthcare professionals and administrators. Moreover, these societies should advocate for the integration of sleep management into hospital standards of care, promote routine screening, and support the design of hospitals that facilitate better sleep. Additional research is required to assess the effect of sleep management on patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency. Sleep specialists should lead these investigations, generating the evidence necessary to advocate for policies focused on sleep, while sleep societies could support and finance research that assists hospitals in implementing evidence-based sleep care strategies.

In conclusion, integrating hospital sleep medicine into the Korean healthcare system demands more than minor adjustments; it requires a fundamental shift in patient care practices. Considering the potential benefits—enhanced patient outcomes, more efficient resource utilization, and wider public health improvements—it is imperative that sleep management becomes a central element of hospital care. The time for substantial reform is now, and sleep societies, specialists, and hospital administrators must take proactive steps to incorporate sleep medicine into standard hospital care protocols.