Quality of sleep in dialysis patients

Background: Sleep quality is an important and determining factor in the quality of life in dialysis patients. Although many chronic dialysis patients complain of poor sleep, we know little about its related factors. Therefore, this study was designed to study sleep quality and its predictors among dialysis patients.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out during August-December 2009 in Shariati Dialysis Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences. Data were gathered on 61 patients receiving a hemodialysis treatment. Quality of sleep was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in dialysis patients in association with the main clinical and biochemical variables. Logistic and multiple linear regressions were used to assess predictors of sleep quality.

Findings: Forty-five subjects (73.8%) reported poor sleep quality defined as a global PSQI score > 5. As the age (p = 0.036) and duration of dialyses (p = 0.022) increased, sleep quality decreased. Significant differences were found between sex and sleep quality (p = 0.044). Sleep quality problems had a significant association with MCV (p = 0.025).

Conclusions: Poor sleep quality is a very common problem in dialysis patients. Assessment and management of sleep quality should be an important component of care giving to these patients. Large prospective longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the high prevalence of impaired quality of sleep and its related factors while controlling confounding variables.