Quality of sleep in renal transplant recipients and patients on hemodialysis.

BACKGROUND

Sleep disorders are very common in patients with chronic kidney disease and they may not always subside after kidney transplantation.

AIM AND METHODS

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the self-reported quality of sleep, insomnia problems in particular, and examine the factors that disturb sleep of kidney transplant recipients (KTx: n=152) in comparison to age- and sex-matched patients on dialysis (HD: n=67) and participants with normal renal function (NOR: n=49), through the administration of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) at least six months after transplantation. Clinical and laboratory data, as well as health-related quality of life, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and the presence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and pruritus were investigated in relation to sleep problems.

RESULTS

The highest mean AIS score was observed in the transplant patients (KTx: 4.6±13.3 vs. HD: 3.8±8.1 vs. NOR: 2.4±10.2); both KTx and HD patients had a lower quality of sleep compared to participants with normal renal function. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the determinants of the total AIS score were the frequency of post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, RLS, diastolic blood pressure, and pain (all p<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Although amelioration of renal function post-transplantation improves several aspects of quality of life, it does not seem to have a beneficial effect on self-reported sleep.