Sleep disturbance in heart failure: A concept analysis

This concept analysis aims to analyze the concept of sleep disturbance (SD) in the context of heart failure (HF) to guide the development of a clearly defined definition.

The term "sleep disturbance" has been used in the literature to describe sleep problems and sleep disorders among individuals with HF. Environmental, physical, psychological, behavioral, and developmental factors complicate the phenomenon of SD in HF.

Walker and Avant's method was used for this concept analysis.

Published literature from 2000 to 2020 was identified from electronic health profession-related databases. The current definition and usages of SD were abstracted from empirical work and electronic databases.

A focused review of abstracts and full text relating to SD in HF was performed. Studies featuring original data and peer-reviewed articles written in English were included to investigate the multifactorial contextual meaning of the concept.

SD in HF can be described as a condition in which individuals experience difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, and difficulty continuing or resuming sleep due to frequent nocturnal arousals due to HF symptoms, sleep-disordered breathing, insomnia, and psychological burdens.

To evaluate SD in HF, clinicians must examine the underlying causes to provide the contextual meaning of the concept. A clearly defined and distinguishable concept of SD in HF provides a possibility for accurate measurements of sleep quality, exploring interventions, and evaluating outcomes.