‘Am I going to see the next morning?’ A qualitative study of patients' perspectives of sleep in COPD

Abstract

Aim:

To investigate patients' perspectives of sleep in COPD.

Method:

Patients with moderate to severe COPD underwent semi-structured interviews about their sleep experiences. Contextual questionnaire data were collected.

Results:

Ten patients were studied. Six reported bad sleep, but all described some sleep problems. Nocturnal anxiety and fears of breathlessness and dying were common features; these impacted on existing sleep problems related to exacerbations, medications, and habitual behaviours that can disrupt sleep. Poor sleep was associated with poorer health status. Patients reported a lack of support from their GPs and few had received advice for sleep problems.

Conclusion:

Anxiety about breathlessness affects the sleep experience of patients with COPD, and sleep quality impacts on physical and emotional functioning. Education about behaviours that can disrupt sleep offers potential benefits to the patient. COPD patients' sleep issues are complex and should be addressed at the clinical consultation.

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