Poststroke Sleep Disorders: An Executive Summary

Background: Poststroke sleep disorders (PSSDs) are common manifestations that may lead to adverse outcomes that pose a negative impact on the daily lives of stroke survivors. However, PSSD is poorly understood in terms of etiology, assessment, treatment, and nursing management. The purpose of this executive summary is to provide an overview to broaden our understanding of PSSDs. Method: The electronic databases EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were searched to identify any available relevant studies. Results: The 3 main sleep disorders among stroke survivors are sleep apnea, nighttime sleep disturbances, and excessive daytime sleepiness. The PSSD prevalence ranges from 13.2% to 94.0%. Conclusion: The causative mechanism seems to be multifactorial, but occurrence may differ depending on the stroke stage. Combined use of subjective and objective assessment methods may increase PSSD detection and early treatment.