Investigation of sleep patterns in pediatric liver transplant patients

This study was conducted to evaluate the sleep patterns of pediatric patients who had undergone liver transplants.

This descriptive study involving 60 children was conducted between April and August 2025 at the Liver Transplantation Clinic of İnönü University. The research data were collected using demographic and clinical information forms and actigraph devices.

Half of the children were girls, 38.3% were aged 7-12years, and 43.3% had undergone organ transplantation within the first 6months after transplantation. A sleep assessment revealed that the children slept for an average of 6.25±2.25h per day, achieved a sleep efficiency of 74.6±13.2%, experienced an average of 62.5±39.2min of wakefulness during sleep, and awoke an average of 40.4±19.6 times per night. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between children's age and both the duration of awakenings (r=-0.322, p=0.012) and the number of awakenings (r=-0.279, p=0.031) during sleep. It was also found that children who complained of itching had significantly shorter sleep durations (U=99.000, Z=-2.370, p=0.018).

This study shows that children who have undergone liver transplantation generally sleep for shorter periods and that this is more pronounced in those who experience itching.

Nurses should routinely assess sleep in pediatric liver transplant recipients and implement personalized sleep hygiene interventions. Particular attention should be given to managing pruritus to improve sleep and recovery outcomes.