Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing www.iiste.org ISSN 2422-8419 An International Peer-reviewed Journal Vol.20, 2015 34 Perceived Sleep Quality of Heart Failure Patients at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH) Chronic Follow up Clinic South West Ethiopia, 2015 Abebe Abera Temamen Tesfaye Fikadu Balcha Gugsa Nemera Jimma University, College of public health and medical sciences, Department of Nursing and midwifery, P.o. Box: 378, Jimma, Ethiopia Abstract Background: Chronic heart failure is an important health problem associated with changes in sleep pattern and quality among patients with heart failure. Besides having negative effect on the patients' quality of life, it is one of the most disturbing problems. Poor sleep compromise cognition and one's self-care practice. Though factors affecting sleep among heart failure patients have been investigated in developed world this is not well understood in developing countries like Ethiopia. The aim of this study was therefore, to assess the level of sleep quality and associated factors among heart failure patients. Methods: - A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 1 to November 15, 2014 at Jimma University Specialized Hospital chronic illness follow up clinic. Data was collected by using standardized structured interviewer administrated questionnaires. Sleep quality was rated by participants using Pittsburg sleep quality scale. Convenient sampling technique was employed. Data analysis was done by SPSS windows version 20.0 statistical package. Statistical association was declared at p-value of <0.05 and results were presented using tables, figures and narratives. Result: A total of 278 patients participated in the study. On the Pittsburg sleep quality scale 42(15.1%) of the participants rated their perceived sleep quality as very bad with the mean score of 9.23 (SD = 4.05). Overall, 81.65% of participants had poor sleep quality. Patients who were farmers 166(59.7%) had poor sleep quality than others. Conclusion and recommendation: Majority of the study participants have poor sleep quality having Pittsburgh sleep quality scale score of greater than five whereas only few of them had good sleep quality. Therefore, Health education and symptom management should be focused in this population to improve their sleep quality. Keywords: Sleep quality, heart failure, Jimma University Specialized Hospital. Background Chronic heart failure is important health problem causing high level of sleep disturbance and disorder. Poor sleep is among the most frequently reported symptoms of patients with heart failure. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is the common sleep disorder experienced by more than 50 to 80% patients with heart failure (1, 2). Factors that contribute to poor sleep in heart failure patients are multidimensional and may include demographic characteristics, pathophysiology of HF, comorbid health problems, symptoms of HF, medications, and primary sleep disorders (3). Mohammadi S. Z., et al reported the most frequent causes of sleep disturbances reported by patients were nocturia, followed by respiratory discomfort, pain and bad dreams (4). Multiple environmental factors and noises were also reported to disrupt sleep (5). The possible consequences of poor/inadequate sleep may include neurologic, respiratory, or cardiac complications; diabetes; depression; falls; accidents; impaired cognition; poor quality of life; prolonged hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) stay; excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS); disturbed mood; poor functional performance; self-care deficits and increased mortality (6, 7). It has also had a negative impact on the self-care capacity and self-care behaviours (8). A study conducted in Taiwan showed that participants as a whole had poor quality of sleep, short duration of night-time sleep, long sleep latency, frequent waking for urination, lack of sleep efficiency, and day time sleepiness. Sleep quality was positively associated with NYHA functional classification, number of hospitalizations, number of co-morbidities, number of medications currently being taken, and depression score (9). Studies conducted in Sao Polo Brazil and Qom City, north-central Iran revealed that the mean PSQI score of 8.70 and 13.24 respectively (3, 4). All of the participants of study in Iran had PSQI score >6.53% with mild daytime sleepiness. More than 2/3 rd of the participants were categorized as poor sleepers and 53.5% classified as good or very good sleepers, and 46.5% as poor or very poor sleepers. The mean duration of sleep was six hours. A nocturnal sleep of less than 5 hours was reported by 21% of participants. The mean sleep latency time was 42 minutes. Around 37% reported it took them up to 15 minutes to fall asleep, whereas in 22.8% it took over one hour. The mean habitual sleep efficiency was 72%. Age, education, female sex, unemployed, fatigue, smoking, income, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, medications, New York Heart Association functional classification, perceived health, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) social functioning, and