Sleep Quality in Patients with Heart Failure: Comparison between Patients and NonPatients in Yazd, Iran (2014)

Heart failure is a common and dangerous life-threatening disease, with an impact on various aspects of life such as sleep quality. This study was conducted to determine sleep quality in patients with heart failure (HF) and its correlates. This case-control study was conducted on 160 individuals referring to Afshar Heart Hospital in Yazd through convenience sampling. After diagnostic tests (i.e., angiography and echocardiography) and examinations by physicians, 80 patients with HF and 80 healthy individuals (control group) were selected. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney test, and the Kruskal– Wallis test using SPSS (version 16). The patients had an average Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score of 5.5 (SD=0.3) with a median of 5. Around 43% of the patients compared with around 34% of the comparison group were identified as poor sleepers; these differences, however, were not statistically significant. The educational level (P=0.033), type of job (P=0.028), history of myocardial infarction (P=0.03), severity of pain (P=0.04), and fatigue (P=0.02) were related to sleep quality. The average daily sleep duration reported by the patients was nearly 6 hours. The mean sleep latency was 20 min among the patients. Getting up to urinate was the most common reason for waking up during the night. Increasing the awareness of patients with HF about improving sleep and encouraging them to participate in regular courses can improve the quality of their sleep and prevent sleep disorders.