# The Effect of Sleep Habits on Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

## TL;DR

This study explores how sleep habits affect quality of life in children with chronic kidney disease, finding that sleep issues and quality of life should not be overlooked, especially in those receiving kidney replacement therapy.

## Contribution

The study is novel in focusing on sleep and quality of life in pediatric CKD patients, particularly those undergoing kidney replacement therapy.

## Key findings

- There was no significant correlation between sleep disturbance scores and quality of life scores in CKD patients.
- Patients receiving kidney replacement therapy had lower physical and emotional well-being scores compared to those not receiving therapy.
- Sleep disturbance scores were similar between CKD patients and healthy controls.

## Abstract

Background: Sleep disturbance has been studied in adult patients with early and end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, there are limited publications on the pediatric patient population. This paper evaluated the association between sleep disturbances and quality of life (QoL) in pediatric patients with CKD.

Methods: The study included 22 patients and 22 healthy controls from the pediatric nephrology outpatient clinic. All participants completed the Turkish Generic Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (HRQoLQ) and the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Patients diagnosed with CKD were compared in terms of HRQoLQ and CSHQ scores within themselves as kidney replacement therapy (KRT) recipients and non-recipients and with the control group.

Results: The mean HRQoLQ total score of the patients was 89.0 ± 12.4 and the mean CSHQ total score was 46.7 ± 5.6; there was no correlation between the total scores (p=0.599). CSHQ total and subgroup scores were similar in patients with and without KRT. The CSHQ total and subgroup median scores were not different in the patient and control groups. According to the HRQoL scale, the total QoL score and the physical and emotional well-being subscale scores were lower in patients receiving KRT than in those not receiving KRT.

Conclusion: Sleep problems and HRQoL should not be underestimated in the pediatric CKD population, especially in patients receiving KRT. Large-scale studies with long-term outcomes are needed to understand better and improve QoL.