Impact Of Spinal Cord Injury On Sleep: Current Perspectives

Abstract

Sleep disorders are commonly encountered in people living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Primary sleep disorders such as sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), sleep-related movement disorders, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, and insomnia disorder are common conditions after SCI but remain under-recognized, underdiagnosed and therefore remain untreated for a majority of patients. Sleep disturbances in people living with SCI are associated with significant impairments of daytime function and quality of life. Previous reviews have described findings related mainly to SDB but have not examined the relationship between other sleep disorders and SCI. This narrative review examines various sleep abnormalities and related functional and physical impairments in people living with SCI. It discusses new evidence pertaining to management, highlights existing limitations in the literature and recommends future directions for research.