Quality of Sleep in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND Hemodialysis patients frequently experience problems sleeping. The purpose of this study was to determine sleep quality in hemodialysis patients. METHODS AND MATERIALS A total of 150 patients under treatment with ongoing hemodialysis in a university hospital dialysis unit were included in the study. Data were collected with a personal information form and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS A total score greater than 5 on the PSQI indicates poor quality of sleep. It was determined that: all the hemodialysis patients complained of sleep problems; most (78.7%) reported poor sleep quality; as the patients' age and time on dialysis increased, their sleep quality decreased; there was a statistically significant difference in sleep quality according to sex and occupation (p < 0.05); patients who were female and housewives had worse sleep quality than the other patients; and sleep quality did not significantly differ by marital status or educational level (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION It was determined that all the hemodialysis patients complained of sleep problems and that most had poor quality of sleep. Interventions directed at eliminating hemodialysis patients' sleep problems will have a part in improving their quality of life.