Characteristics of Sleep in Patients with Stable Heart Failure Versus a Comparison Group

Background: Sleep disturbance seems to be common among patients with heart failure (HF). However, little is known about the objective and subjective characteristics of sleep in these patients during daily life or the extent to which the sleep of patients with HF differs from the sleep of other adults.

Methods: We examined the extent to which self-reported and objective characteristics of sleep differ between patients with HF with stable systolic blood pressure (n = 59) and a comparison group of adults who did not have HF (n = 59).

Results: The patients with HF had a significantly lower percentage of wake after sleep onset and more frequent wake bouts, as measured with wrist actigraphs. There were no group-related differences in sleep duration. Sixty-seven percent of the patients with HF compared with 51% of the comparison group had poor global sleep quality, and 44% of the patients with HF versus 18.6% of the comparison group reported excessive daytime sleepiness.

Conclusion: Future research is needed to examine the causes and consequences of disturbed sleep continuity and poor sleep quality and the effects of sleep-promotion strategies designed for patients with HF.