Determinants of sleep problems in patients with spondyloarthropathy

To characterize sleep complaints and identify biopsychosocial factors associated with sleep problems in patients with spondyloarthropathy (SpA).

The sample comprised 125 patients with SpA. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants completed standardized questionnaires assessing depressed mood, perceived stress, leisure time physical activity, functional disability and disease activity. A series of hierarchical multiple regressions were computed to examine the determinants of the following sleep parameters: quality, latency, duration and efficiency.

The mean global PSQI score was 8.7 (SD = 5.0), with 69% of the sample classified as poor sleepers (PSQI global score >5). Worse functional status was associated with poorer sleep quality (p = 0.006), longer sleep latency (p = 0.004), shorter sleep duration (p = 0.001) and poorer sleep efficiency (p = 0.004). Higher depressed mood scores emerged in the multivariate analyses as a significant determinant of poorer sleep quality (p = 0.010), shorter sleep duration (p = 0.007) and poorer sleep efficiency (p = 0.006). Higher perceived stress was an independent contributor of poorer sleep quality (p = 0.033). The relationships between worse functional status and poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep duration were more pronounced for participants who completed the questionnaires in the English language.

Sleep problems are prevalent among patients with SpA. Our findings suggest that multiple factors are associated with sleep complaints in persons with SpA with functional status, depressed mood and stress differentially contributing to specific sleep parameters. Multimodal interventions, which include non-pharmacological methods targeting these biopsychosocial factors, require evaluation to optimize the management of sleep disruptions in SpA.