An Exploratory Study of Sleep Quality After Lung Transplantation Using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

Introduction: Sleep is essential for maintaining optimal physical and mental health as it supports crucial functions such as cognition, immune system regulation, and overall well-being. A growing emphasis on the importance of sleep warrants an investigation of sleep quality after lung transplantation. Research Question: What is the overall prevalence, nature, and severity of patient-reported disrupted sleep quality after lung transplantation using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)? Design: This study employed a single-site, exploratory, cross-sectional descriptive design involving lung transplant recipients who completed an anonymous survey. Sleep quality was assessed using the PSQI scale. Additionally, participants provided self-reported data on demographic and transplant-related variables. Results: The response rate was 38.4% (61/158) and 64% of the respondents (39/61) demonstrated PSQI >5 with a mean PSQI score of 8.07 (SD = 4.5), suggestive of poor sleep quality. Lung transplant recipients reported difficulties across all components of sleep quality with more challenges in the categories of sleep duration, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, and the use of sleep medications. Conclusion: The prevalence of poor subjective sleep quality among lung transplant recipients highlighted the importance of continued investigation into this phenomenon. Further research employing standardized measures, larger sample sizes, and longitudinal study designs is warranted to enhance understanding of poor sleep post-lung transplant. Such endeavors are crucial for informing the development of effective assessment strategies and interventions aimed at improving sleep outcomes in patients after lung transplantation.