A comparison of sleep disturbances and sleep apnea in patients on hemodialysis and chronic peritoneal dialysis.

Studies have shown that sleep disorders are common among dialysis patients; however, few studies have compared the prevalence of different sleep disorders in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD). We used questionnaires to assess the prevalence of common sleep disorders in dialysis patients. We compared the prevalence of sleep apnea (SA) risk, restless legs syndrome (RLS), insomnia, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), as well as sleep quality, in both groups. Of the 227 patients who were enrolled in the study, the total number of patients on HD was 188 (82%), while the total number of patients on PD was 39 (18%). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, neck size, or duration on dialysis (all P >0.05). The estimated overall prevalence of SA was significantly higher in PD patients in comparison with HD patients (92% and 67%, respectively; P <0.05). The prevalence of insomnia was similar in both groups. The prevalence of RLS was significantly greater in PD than in HD patients (69% and 46%, respectively; P <0.05). In addition, EDS was significantly higher in PD than in HD patients (77% and 37%, respectively; P <0.05). Our study shows that sleep disorders are common in dialysis patients; however, SA, EDS, and RLS were more common in PD patients than in HD patients. Poor sleep quality and insomnia were comparable in both groups.