This research intends to provide a comprehensive review of existing literature on sleep within the nursing field, employing bibliometric methods. A comprehensive analysis of the available literature concerning sleep in nursing was carried out through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on October 20, 2025. The search terms “sleep” and “nursing” played a crucial role in identifying relevant research studies. VOSviewer was applied for bibliometric analysis and visualization to identify authors, journals, countries and display the keyword co-occurrence networks. A total of 2.456 publications focused on the topic of sleep were identified from 1991 to 2025. The dataset comprised predominantly research articles (2.296, 93.5%). These publications appeared in a total of 191 distinct academic journals and collectively received 103,025 citations over the analyzed period. The number of publications increased by an average of 6.83 units per year during the observed period (R2 = 0.9622; p < 0.001). In the keyword co-occurrence network, “sleep,” “sleep quality,” and “nursing” keywords the highest frequency. The Journal of Clinical Nursing exhibited the highest publication output with 109 articles. The United States accounted for the largest share of publications. Development and Adaptation of Sleep Instruments in Nursing was performed on 14 measurement tools. This bibliometric study revealed the research points and trends in the field of sleep in nursing research. Future research should aim to strengthen international collaboration among nurse researchers, leveraging artificial intelligence tools and wearable technologies to effectively address sleep-related issues and enhance sleep quality.
Al-SulamiG. S.RiceA. M.KiddL.O’NeillA.RichardsK. C.McPeakeJ. (2019). An Arabic translation, reliability, validity, and feasibility of the richards-campbell sleep questionnaire for sleep quality assessment in ICU: Prospective-repeated assessments. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 27(3), E153–E169. https://doi.org/10.1891/1061-3749.27.3.E153
2.
AshghabA.Vahedian-AzimiA.VafadarZ.MollahadiM.SepandiM. (2024). Nursing interventions to improve the sleep quality of hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Intensive Care Research, 4(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44231-024-00056-9
3.
BergamascoE. C.da CruzD. D. A. L. M. (2007). Adaptation of the visual analog sleep scales to Portuguese. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 15(5), 998–1004. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-11692007000500018
4.
BuysseD. J.ReynoldsC. F.MonkT. H.BermanS. R.KupferD. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh sleep quality index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4
5.
CancinoC. A.MerigóJ. M.CoronadoF. C. (2017). A bibliometric analysis of leading universities in innovation research. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 2(3), 106–124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2017.03.006
6.
CarvalhoK. M.FigueiredoM L. F.GalindoN. M.SáG. G. M. (2019). Construction and validation of a sleep hygiene booklet for the elderly. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72(suppl 2), 214–220. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2018-0603
7.
CevikA.Onat KorogluC.KaracamZ.Gokyildiz SurucuS.AlanS. (2022). Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the prevalence of insomnia, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Nursing Research, 31(8), 1405–1421. https://doi.org/10.1177/10547738221112748
8.
ChanS.-F.ChenT.-H.LiaoY.-M.ChouK.-R.TsaiP.-S. (2012). Development and preliminary validation of the Chinese version of the sleep-associated monitoring index. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(1), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.07.007
9.
ColtenH. R.AltevogtB. M. (2006). Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation: An unmet public health problem. The National Academies Press.
10.
DennisC.RossL. (2005). Relationships among infant sleep patterns, maternal fatigue, and development of depressive symptomatology. Birth, 32(3), 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0730-7659.2005.00368.x
11.
EvansJ. CFrenchD. G (1995). Sleep and Healing in Intensive Care Settings. Dimensions Of Critical Care Nursing, 14(4), 188–189.
12.
FarabiS. S.CarleyD. W.QuinnL. (2017). Glucose variations and activity are strongly coupled in sleep and wake in young adults with type 1 diabetes. Biological Research For Nursing, 19(3), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800416685177
13.
GellerstedtL.MedinJ.KumlinM.Rydell KarlssonM. (2019). Sleep as a topic in nursing education programs? A mixed method study of syllabuses and nursing students’ perceptions. Nurse Education Today, 79, 168–174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.05.030
14.
HellströmA.WillmanA. (2011). Promoting sleep by nursing interventions in health care settings: A systematic review. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 8(3), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-6787.2010.00203.x
15.
HuangQ.RonghuangQ.YinhuangR.FanghuangY.YansunH. (2021). Trends and hotspots of family nursing research based on web of science: A bibliometric analysis. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 18(2), Article e12401. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12401
16.
KılıçaslanFKarataşHDoğanÜ. (2025). A bibliometric and visualized analysis of sleep problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 158, Article 104943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104943
17.
IbrahimF. MFadilaD. EElshataratR. AIbrahimA. MAbd ElmawlaD. A (2023). Effect of a Home-Based Simplified Tai Chi Exercise Program on Sleep Quality, Daytime Sleepiness, Quality of Life, and Psychological Well-Being in Egyptian Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Biological Research for Nursing, 26(2), 202–218.
18.
KimH.-J. (2017). Validation of the Korean version of the mini-sleep questionnaire–insomnia in Korean college students. Asian Nursing Research, 11(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2017.01.001
19.
KmetecS.FekonjaZ.DaveyA.MlinarReljićN.LorberM. (2022). Development of a Slovenian version of the pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI-SLO) for use with older adults. International Journal of Older People Nursing, 17(1), Article e12411. https://doi.org/10.1111/opn.12411
20.
KozachikS. L.OppM. R.PageG. G. (2015). Recovery sleep does not mitigate the effects of prior sleep loss on paclitaxel-induced mechanical hypersensitivity in sprague-dawley rats. Biological Research For Nursing, 17(2), 207–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800414539385
21.
LabragueL. J. (2021). Pandemic fatigue and clinical nurses’ mental health, sleep quality and job contentment during the covid-19 pandemic: The mediating role of resilience. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(7), 1992–2001. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13383
22.
LimW. MKumarS (2024). Guidelines for interpreting the results of bibliometric analysis: A sensemaking approach. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 43(2), 17–26. DOI:10.1002/joe.22229
LlagunoN. S.PinheiroE. M.AvelarA. F. M. (2021). Development and validation of the “Sleep Hygiene for Children” booklet. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 34, eAPE001125. https://doi.org/10.37689/acta-ape/2021AO001125
25.
LuanZ.ZhangZ.GaoY.DuS.WuN.ChenY.PengX. (2023). Electronic health records in nursing from 2000 to 2020: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1049411. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1049411
26.
NelsonK. L.DavisJ. E.CorbettC. F. (2022). Sleep quality: An evolutionary concept analysis. Nursing Forum, 57(1), 144–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12659
27.
PaalaE.LiljeroosH.TaskinenH.RitmalaM.Lundgrén-LaineH.SalanteräS.KoivunenM. (2025). Sleep promotion appearing in nursing documentations – A descriptive study. Nordic Journal of Nursing Research, 45, Article 20571585241312074. https://doi.org/10.1177/20571585241312074
28.
PelinM.SertH. (2023). Development of the sleep quality scale for coronary care patients (SQ-CC). Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 79, Article 103485. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2023.103485
29.
Prado Biani ManzoliJ.Dibbern Lopes CorreiaM.Lacerda BotelhoM.da Silva BegnamiN. E.Pereira da CostaP. C.Marocco DuranE. C. (2020). Diagnostic accuracy of the disturbed sleep pattern in patients with acute coronary syndrome. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 31(2), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12252
SetyowatiA.ChungM.H. (2021). Validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in adolescents. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 27(5), Article e12856. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12856
32.
SuleimanK. H.YatesB. C. (2011). Translating the insomnia severity index into Arabic. Journal of Nursing Scholarship: An Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, 43(1), 49–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1547-5069.2010.01374.x
33.
TzengJ. I.FuY.-W.LinC.-C. (2012). Validity and reliability of the Taiwanese version of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in cancer patients. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 49(1), 102–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2011.08.004
34.
van EckN. J.WaltmanL. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
35.
Van EckN. J.WaltmanL. (2017). Citation-based clustering of publications using CitNetExplorer and VOSviewer. Scientometrics, 111(2), 1053–1070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-017-2300-7
36.
WangY.LiuQ.WuJ.MengK.ZhouL.YeF. (2025). Unveiling the glymphatic system’s impact on neurodegenerative diseases: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis (2012-2024). Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 17, Article 1598608. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1598608
YasugakiS.OkamuraH.KanekoA.HayashiY. (2025). Bidirectional relationship between sleep and depression. Neuroscience Research, 211, 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2023.04.006
40.
YehA.-Y.PresslerS. J.GiordaniB. J.PozehlB. J.BergerA. M. (2018). Integrative review of the relationship between sleep disturbances and episodic memory in older adults. Biological Research For Nursing, 20(4), 440–451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800418768070
41.
YuD. S. F. (2010). Insomnia severity index: Psychometric properties with Chinese community-dwelling older people. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 66(10), 2350–2359. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05394.x
42.
ZhangX.ZhangL. (2023). Risk prediction of sleep disturbance in clinical nurses: A nomogram and artificial neural network model. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 289. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01462-y
43.
ZhaoB.ZhouJ. (2024). Research hotspots and trends in digitalization in higher education: A bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 10(21), Article e39806. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39806
44.
ZhaoN.ZhuZ.GongQ.JiangR. (2025). Research hotspots and trends in the interaction mechanisms of neuroinflammation and sleep disorders: A bibliometric analysis based on WOS. IBRO Neuroscience Reports, 19, 445–455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.08.011
45.
ZhouC.JiS.ZhangA.YuH.LiuC.LiS. (2025). Bibliometric and visual analysis of circadian rhythms in depression from 2004 to 2024. Annals of General Psychiatry, 24(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12991-025-00565-x
46.
ZhouJ.QuJ.JiS.BuY.HuY.SunH.XueM.ZhouT.QuJ.LiuY. (2022). Research trends in college students’ sleep from 2012 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, Article 1005459. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1005459
47.
ZhuC.WuQ.LiY.DaM. (2024). Research trends and hotspots of sleep disorder and cancer: A bibliometric analysis via VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Supportive Care in Cancer: Official Journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(4), 223. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08425-2
48.
ZyoudS.ZyoudS. H. (2025). Global research trends on the links between disinfection by-products and cancer: Mapping knowledge landscapes and visualization analysis. Journal of Water and Health, 23(9), 1055–1077. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2025.058
