Background: Sleep quality is impaired during critical illness and may remain abnormal after discharge from hospital. Sleep dysfunction in patients after critical illness may impair recovery and health related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to use objective and subjective measures to evaluate sleep quality in critical illness survivors 3 months after hospital discharge.
Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of 55 patients admitted to a multidisciplinary intensive care unit (ICU) between April 1st, 2009 and March 31, 2010. Patients enrolled were over 17 years of age and stayed a minimum of 4 days in the ICU. Patients were assessed in an outpatient clinic 3-months after hospital discharge. Sleep quality was measured using multi-night sleep actigraphy and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
Results: A total of 62% of patients had poor sleep quality measured with the PSQI. The average (SD) sleep time, sleep efficiency and number of sleep disruptions per night was 6.15 h (3.4), 78% (18), and 11 disruptions (5) respectively. The APACHE II score was correlated with total sleep time (β = -12.6, P = 0.019) and sleep efficiency (β = -1.18, P = 0.042). The PSQI score was associated with anxiety (β = 4.00, p = 0.001), reduced mobility (β = 3.39, p = 0.002) and EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale score (β = -0.85, p = 0.003) and low Physical Composite Scores (β = -0.13, p = 0.004) and Mental Composite Scores (β = -0.15, p = 0.002) of the Short-Form 36 survey.
Conclusions: Reduced sleep quality following critical illness is common and associated with reduced health related quality of life. Critical illness severity is a predictor of reduced sleep duration and sleep disruption 3 months after hospital discharge. This cohort study highlights the important role sleep may contribute to the long-term recovery from critical illness.
Keywords: Actigraphy; Adult/therapy; Critical care; Intensive care units; Quality of life; Sleep.
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