Sleep disturbances in children and adolescents after kidney transplantation

Disturbances of sleep are prevalent among children with chronic kidney disease. However, the aetiology of sleep disorders in children particularly after kidney transplantation is not clear. We sought to ascertain the prevalence and type of sleep disturbances in paediatric kidney transplant recipients and to identify predictors of sleep disturbances in this population.

Caregivers of kidney transplant recipients completed online questionnaires about their child's sleep. The questionnaires utilised were the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale for Children and Adolescents (ESS-CHAD), questions about sleep hygiene, and questions about restless leg syndrome. Demographic and clinical details were collected from medical records.

Thirty-five children were included in the study, with a median (IQR) age of 14.1 years (9.5-16.1) and median years (IQR) since transplant of 3.7 (0.7-8.7) years, and 72.0% were identified to have at least one category of sleep disturbance according to scores on the SDSC. The most common sleep disturbances reported were disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS) (40.0%) and disorders of excessive somnolence (DOES) (31.4%). Statistically significant predictors of sleep disturbances include low estimated glomerular filtration rate and increased age. Among children who screened positive for DIMS and DOES, the majority indicated use of electronic devices in 1 h before bed.

A high prevalence of sleep disturbances has been identified in children after kidney transplants, and some risk factors may be modifiable. Further studies are required to understand whether there are other readily modifiable predictors of sleep disturbances.