Factors Influencing Sleep Duration and Sleep Difficulty in People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Although sleep problems are prevalent among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), many research gaps exist in this area. The aims of this study were to identify sleep duration and sleep difficulty in people with COPD and to determine factors influencing these sleep variables.

This cross-sectional study employed data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) performed in 2019. A total of 408 people with COPD were included in the study. Individuals’ sociodemographic, COPD-related, and psychological characteristics were examined to determine factors affecting their sleep duration and sleep difficulty.

Of 408 study subjects, almost 95% had mild or moderate COPD. The mean sleep duration of the subjects was 6.73 hours per day, indicating short sleep duration. Subjects with elementary school or no education, middle individual income, unmarried status, or depression were more likely to have shorter sleep duration than those with middle or high school education, low individual income, married status, or no depression. In addition, over 54% of subjects experienced mild to severe sleep difficulty. Female gender, low family income, and more perceived stress were significantly associated with greater sleep difficulty.

Among the study subjects, over 40% had short sleep duration or mild to severe sleep difficulty. Although COPD severity was not significantly associated with sleep duration or sleep difficulty, sociodemographic disparities in sleep health were observed.