sleep disorders in esrd patients undergoing hemodialysis

kidney failure affects different aspects of normal life. among different manifestations, sleep problem can be considered as a common complaint of esrd (end stage renal disease) patients. in this study, we aimed to investigate the interrelationship between sleep disorders in esrd patients and their characteristics. through a cross-sectional study (2010-2011), 88 esrd patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis thrice weekly were recruited to enter the study. we used a self-administered questionnaire into which the data were reflected. the patients selected their specific sleep disorders using a nine-item scale while the epworth sleepiness scale (ess) determined both the presence and severity of sleep disorders. the data was finally analyzed with their baseline characteristics, dialysis characteristics, medication/stimulants use, and clinical and biochemical parameters. over 95% of the patients had, at least, one specific sleep disorder while the ess revealed 36.36% of patients as normal, 59.09% as having mild sleep disorders, and 4.54% as having moderate to severe sleep disorders. sleep disorders were significantly correlated with older ages ( p =0.035), dialysis dose ( p =0.001), blood creatinine levels ( p =0.037), upper airways obstruction ( p =0.035), hepatomegaly ( p =0.006), hepatic failure ( p =0.001), higher blood tsh levels ( p =0.039), history of hypothyroidism ( p =0.005), and the use of levodopa ( p =0.004), anti-hypertensive medications ( p =0.006), benzodiazepines ( p =0.006), eprex (erythropoietin) ( p =0.001), venofer (iron sucrose injection) ( p =0.013), and phosphate-binders agents ( p =0.018). sleep disorders are common findings among esrd patients and seem to be a more complicated issue than a simple accumulation of the wastes products in the body. whatever the causes of sleep disorders are, disorder-specific treatments should be considered.