Sleep disturbances in people living with heart failure

Approximately 10% to 70% of people living with chronic heart failure (HF) experience significant sleep disturbances, which have been shown to impair their health-related quality of life and overall functional performance. Research findings, however, report inconsistent conclusions about sleep disturbances and their adverse effects on HF. The purpose of this article is to review several research studies addressing sleep disturbances in patients with HF and to highlight contradictory and inconsistent findings. Further nursing research about the phenomena related to sleep disturbances in people with HF is warranted so that evidence-based assessments and interventions can be tested in the future.