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Sleep disturbances prevalent among those with HIV
Crum-Cianflone NF. Clin Infect Dis. 2012;doi:10.1093/cid/cis192.
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Those with HIV had a high prevalence of insomnia, but the prevalence was not significantly higher compared with those without HIV.
In a cross-sectional study, researchers from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences at the National Naval Medical Center evaluated the prevalence and factors associated with insomnia and daytime sleepiness in military beneficiaries with HIV and those without HIV who were matched by age, sex, race or ethnicity and military rank. Insomnia was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and daytime sleepiness was measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).
Among those with HIV, 46% had insomnia, with a PSQI score of more than 5, and 30% of reported daytime sleepiness, with an ESS score of 10 or more. Among those without HIV, 38% had insomnia and 20% had daytime sleepiness. The differences were not statistically significant.
Data from a multivariable analysis on depression indicated that increased waist size and fewer years of education were associated with insomnia in those with HIV. Nineteen percent of those with HIV had neurocognitive impairment, but this was not associated with insomnia. Those with HIV who had insomnia were 3.1-fold more likely to have a decline in activities of daily living than those without insomnia.
“Insomnia and daytime sleepiness are common among HIV-infected persons, but in the setting of early HIV diagnosis and management, the prevalence of these disorders does not seem higher than match HIV-uninfected persons,” the researchers wrote. “Prompt diagnosis and treatment of sleep disturbances are advocated and may improve quality of life.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.