Post-stroke sleep disorders in Egyptian patients by using simply administered questionnaires: a study from Ain Shams University

Abstract Introduction Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide with grave morbidity and mortality. Sleep and stroke have a definite intermingling neuropathological relationship, so along with expeditious acute management, efficient secondary prevention and consistent rehabilitation, sleep disorders’ management has a hand in offering a medical service up to the mark. Objective Screening of sleep disorders’ prevalence in patients who survived a previous stroke by applying simple questionnaires and to determine the correlation between these disorders and stroke’s demographic, clinical, and risk factor variables. Methods Cross-sectional prospective study on 75 stroke patients from stroke outpatient clinic and all patients were subjected to answer a sheet of sleep questionnaire, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI), Arabic versions. Results A total of 70.6 % were found to have sleep disorders, 61.6% had poor sleep quality, 20% had a severe degree of excessive day time sleepiness (EDS). Sleep disorders were more prevalent in the moderate severity of stroke by NIHSS and in the first 1–4 weeks. There was no correlation between the occurrence of sleep disorders and the site of the lesion. Conclusion Sleep disorders are broadly prevalent after a stroke. Resulting damage impedes the functional outcome. Simple questionnaires are easy applicable methods for screening of such disorders in post-stroke patients. Guidelines needed regarding screening and management of sleep disorders after a stroke.