ABSTRACT
Sleep disturbances are much more prevalent in the dialysis population than in the general population [1]. Several studies on the impact and importance of sleep problems on quality of life in patients on dialysis revealed that sleep disturbances have a major effect on the vitality and general health of these patients [2]. Sleep disturbances in patients on dialysis might be caused by both the pathology of the renal disease and the dialysis treatment itself [3]. Although sleep disorders found in this population can be complex-for example, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder can cause sleep problems for patients-this chapter will focus on disturbances in the circadian sleep-wake rhythm. Focusing on these disturbances is a novel £eld of interest in this patient population, but such disturbances can have a prominent role in the development of sleep disorders, and therefore in impairment of quality of life, in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
