The Effect of Haemodialysis in Sleep Apnoea

Sleep disturbance is a significant issue in people undergoing dialysis. More than 80% of haemodialysis patients complain of difficulty sleeping. Inadequate sleep can cause poor daytime function and increased risk of motor vehicle incidents. One of the common reasons for sleep disturbance in dialysis patients is sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea involves pauses in breathing that occur during sleep. Each pause can last only a few seconds or minutes. Severe sleep apnoea reduces oxygen supply and increases risk of heart attack and stroke, which are the leading causes of death in dialysis patients. In this project, the investigators will examine how a change of dialysis treatment might improve sleep. This project will first identify patients at risk of sleep disturbance using surveys and a subsequent sleep study. The investigators will then test different dialysis models to see the effect of dialysis treatment on sleep apnoea. The aim is to find a dialysis model that works better for patients with sleep apnoea.