Sleep disorders and chronic kidney disease

World J Nephrol. 2016 May 6;5(3):224-32. doi: 10.5527/wjn.v5.i3.224.

Abstract

Sleep disorders have a profound and well-documented impact on overall health and quality of life in the general population. In patients with chronic disease, sleep disorders are more prevalent, with an additional morbidity and mortality burden. The complex and dynamic relationship between sleep disorders and chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain relatively little investigated. This article presents an overview of sleep disorders in patients with CKD, with emphasis on relevant pathophysiologic underpinnings and clinical presentations. Evidence-based interventions will be discussed, in the context of individual sleep disorders, namely sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome and excessive daytime sleepiness. Limitations of the current knowledge as well as future research directions will be highlighted, with a final discussion of different conceptual frameworks of the relationship between sleep disorders and CKD.

Keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Circadian rhythm disorders; Disorders of excessive somnolence; Dyssomnias; End-stage renal disease; Hemodialysis; Intrinsic sleep disorders; Kidney transplantation; Melatonin; Parasomnias; Renal replacement therapy; Restless legs syndrome; Sleep apnea; Sleep initiation and maintenance disorders.

Publication types

  • Review