Abstract
Objective: To describe sleep characteristics and analyze factors related to sleep quality in stroke patients treated at Thai Nguyen Central Hospital.
Subjects and methods: A descriptive study was conducted on 53 stroke patients treated at the Stroke Center, Thai Nguyen Central Hospital, from January to December 2025. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), sleep latency, total sleep duration, and sleep efficiency. Stroke severity was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and functional disability was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at admission and three months after stroke. Associations between clinical, demographic, and socio-economic factors and sleep quality were analyzed.
Results: The mean age of patients was 68.03 ± 1.41 years; Men accounted for a larger proportion (56.6%) than women (43.4%). Before stroke, 90.6% of patients slept at least 6 hours per night; 50.9% experienced frequent nocturnal awakenings, and 30.2% reported long-term poor sleep. After stroke, the mean sleep latency was 58.77 ± 49.40 minutes, mean sleep duration was 5.87 ± 1.47 hours per night, and mean sleep efficiency was 74.72 ± 18.77%, with 47.2% of patients having poor sleep efficiency (<75%). The mean PSQI score was 9.00 ± 6.62, and 58.5% of patients were classified as having poor sleep quality (PSQI >5). NIHSS and mRS scores at admission and at three months were significantly associated with sleep efficiency and sleep quality (p<0.001). Furthermore, age, marital status, income, and sleep partner showed statistically significant differences between the two groups with good and poor sleep quality (p<0.05). Conclusion: Stroke severity and functional disability are independent factors associated with sleep quality in post-stroke patients. Demographic and socio-demographic factors were relevant in the univariate analysis but were no longer significant after adjustment, suggesting a dominant role of neurological damage in sleep disorders. Assessment and intervention for sleep disorders should be emphasized in post-stroke care and rehabilitation.