Chronic conditions can impact many elements of an individual’s life. Getting enough sleep is important to ensure that your body can function as needed throughout the day and is able to rest and recover at night. Some people may also experience fatigue as a result of their chronic condition.
Sleep
Ensuring we get enough sleep is an important factor needed to maintain our general health and well-being. On average, adults should aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night (National Sleep Foundation).
The benefits of getting enough sleep include:
- Increased energy levels
- Improved concentration
- Effective management of stress
- A healthy headspace
Sleep is important for processing, storing and recalling memories (1). Disturbances to sleep can therefore affect these processes in addition to affecting quality of life (2). Sleep disturbances have been linked to higher rates of depression and psychological stress (3).
Sleep-wake disturbances include:
- Insomnia, or difficulty attaining and/or sustaining sleep
- Hypersomnia or excessive sleepiness (sleeping at inappropriate times)
- Unusual events associated with sleep e.g. snoring, apnoea, limb movements
Patients living with chronic liver conditions face greater exposure to sleep disturbances and the associated effects (3).
Fatigue
Fatigue is characterised by feelings of constant tiredness or weakness – can be physical, mental or a combination (Better Health Channel). Fatigue is a common symptom of those living with chronic liver conditions, and is often associated with alterations in mood, including depression and anxiety (4). Other causes of fatigue include:
- Medical
- Underlying conditions/illness
- Lifestyle
- Alcohol or drugs
- Lack of exercise
- Poor diet
- Lack of or too much sleep
- Work
- Stress
- Unemployment
- Shift work
- Emotional concerns and stress
- Mental health conditions
- Lack of motivation
- Irritability
Fatigue can lead to the development of numerous other symptoms, including:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Sore, aching muscles, or weak muscles
- Impaired decision making and judgement
- Appetite loss
- Impaired immune function
Reference List:
(1). Stewart, C. A, Auger, R, Enders, F. T. B, Felmlee-Devine, D & Smith, G. E 2014, ‘The Effects of Poor Sleep Quality on Cognitive Function of Patients with Cirrhosis’, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, vol. 10, no. 1, DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.3350
(2). Montagnese, S, De Pitta, C, De Rui, M, Corrias, M, Turco, M, Merkel, C, Amodio, P, Costa, R, Skene, D. J & Gatta, A 2014, ‘Sleep-Wake Abnormalities in Patients with Cirrhosis’, Hepatology, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 705-712, DOI: 10.1002/hep.26555
(3). Bruyneel, M & Serste, T 2018, ‘Sleep disturbances in patients with liver cirrhosis: prevalence, impact and management challenges’, Nature and Science of Sleep, vol. 10, pp. 369-375, DOI: 10.2417/NSS.S186665
(4). Swain, M. G & Jones, D. E 2018, ‘Fatigue in chronic liver disease: New insights and therapeutic approaches’, Liver International, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 6-19, DOI: 10.1111/liv.13919