Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: Almost any medical illness that causes significant pain or discomfort may negatively affect the quality of sleep. Illnesses affecting cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems and injuries disrupt the quality of sleep. The objective of this study is to investigate the parameters of sleep and the factors affecting the quality of sleep in medically ill patients. Patients and Method: In a descriptive cross-sectional study, a total of 300 medical patients with various somatic complaints who attended internal, ENT, orthopedic, neurology, urology and surgery clinics were selected. The assessment instrument was Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) which measures the quality of sleep in 7 major domains. A score of >5 is considered as a significant sleep disturbance. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. Results: The mean PSQI score of the patients from all six selected clinics was higher than anchor point(M=8.02). Significant differences were found in sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction among the clinics. Pain and worry were the major causes of sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, the majority of medical conditions can cause sleep disturbances per se. Because pain and worry may adversely affect the quality of sleep, they should be considered in the assessment and treatment of various medical conditions.