Insomnia is a common grumble among patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, which affect the patients’ normal life. Many patients want to relieve the condition, but have no idea. Actually, to know the correct treatment, you should find out the possible causes. Well then, what can cause insomnia in CKD patients?

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is an inability to get the amount of sleep needed to function efficiently during the daytime. It is caused by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep or waking up too early in the morning. Insomnia affects an estimated 30-70% of people with CKD.

How does insomnia occur in CKD patients?

Persons with chronic kidney disease are prone to suffer from insomnia due to the following conditions:

1. Itchy skin

Due to decreased renal function, kidneys cannot keep the minerals balance. Itching skin won’t occur until illness condition progresses into advanced stage. Skin itching can affect patients’ sleep quality.

2. Restless leg syndrome

Restless Leg Syndrome, or your doctor may call it as RLS, affects from 60~80% of people with CKD. Restless Leg Syndrome refers to an irresistible urge to move the legs, which is worse at night. People may even experience leg cramps while they are awake, usually during a hemodialysis session. Because restless leg syndrome occurs when you are trying to relax or fall asleep, it can leave you feeling tired from lack of rest.

3. Kidney pain

Kidney pain, back pain or side pain: Most people with kidney disease don’t have pain unless their renal failure is caused by PKD, infections or kidney stones.

Through the above analysis, surely you have a well understanding about the causes of insomnia in CKD patients. Any questions, please be free to contact our Online Doctor or email to renal-disease@hotmail.com