Insomnia in Diabetic Hemodialysis Patients

<i>Background:</i> Insomnia is one of the most common problems in dialysis patients, and likely to contribute impairment in quality of life, which has a positive correlation with patients’ survival. In diabetic patients, morbidity and mortality are substantially higher than in the nondiabetic counterparts, and also the incidence of sleep disturbances. However, there is no means to predict sleep disturbance in the dialysis patients especially in diabetics. To define the prevalence and risk factors for insomnia in diabetic patients on hemodialysis, we undertook a cross-sectional multicenter study. <i>Methods:</i> Eighty-two diabetic patients (50 men/32 women, aged 58.7 ± 9.23 years) on maintenance hemodialysis for more than 6 months from 12 different hospitals were enrolled. The demographic data, subjective symptoms, depression scale, and insomnia were assessed by questionnaires, and lean body mass, BMI, Kt/V, subjective global assessment, nursing assessment score (NAS), and biochemical parameters were examined. <i>Results:</i> The number of patients with and without insomnia were 56 and 26, respectively, which amounted to 68.2% for insomnia. NAS (28.1 ± 3.81 vs. 30.8 ± 2.88, p = 0.002), serum albumin concentration (3.82 ± 0.44 vs. 4.09 ± 0.36 g/dl, p = 0.008), and depression scale (25.2 ± 12.1 vs. 18.9 ± 10.3, p = 0.025) were significantly different between them. Patients with insomnia were older (60.5 ± 9.0 vs. 56. 1 ± 9.60 years, p = 0.053) and felt pain (38.5 vs. 15.3%, p = 0.06) more frequently than those without insomnia. The scale of depression was correlated with NAS (r = –0.455, p < 0.001) and the serum albumin concentration was correlated with NAS (r = 0.337, p = 0.002). NAS, age, and serum albumin concentration were the major risk factors for insomnia in logistic regression analysis. <i>Conclusion:</i> The prevalence of insomnia in diabetic hemodialysis patients was 68.2%. Age, nutritional status, and depression were the major risk factors for sleep disturbance in diabetic patients.