Insomnia symptoms, objectively measured sleep, and disease severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...

Sleep disturbances are known to have a negative impact on a range of clinical outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined the associations of insomnia symptoms and objectively measured sleep parameters to a composite score for body mass index, airflow obstruction, dyspnea, and exercise capacity (BODE) index (a multidimensional index of COPD severity), arterial blood gases, nocturnal respiratory disturbances, periodic limb movements (PLM), psychologic distress, pain, age, and sex.

The sample comprised 73 COPD outpatients (mean age, 63.6years; standard deviation {SD}, 7.5; range 47-85years; 41.1% women). Insomnia symptoms were measured with the Bergen Insomnia Scale (BIS) and sleep efficiency (SE), slow-wave sleep (SWS), and total sleep time (TST) were assessed with clinical polysomnography (PSG).

BODE index was positively associated with composite BIS score (P=.040). Patients with more severe COPD presented more complaints of nonrestorative sleep compared to patients with less severe COPD (P=.010). In multivariate analysis, the composite BIS score was independently associated with PLM (P<.001), nocturnal respiratory disturbances (P=.001), pain (P=.031), and psychologic distress (P=.044) but not with the BODE index. Objectively measured sleep variables were not associated with any of the health-related variables.

Insomnia symptoms in COPD patients result from a wide range of health-related factors. More severe COPD may be associated with a subjective experience of nonrestorative sleep but not with objectively measured sleep variables.