Association Between Hospital-Induced Sleep Disruption and Short-Term Blood Pressure Variability in Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Objective: To compare short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) between hospitalized patients with poor
and good sleep quality, as assessed by the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ).
Background: Sleep disruption is common among hospitalized patients and may contribute to hemodynamic
instability. Short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is recognized as an independent predictor of
cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep quality and short-term BPV in
hospitalized patients using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ).
Methodology: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at Gujranwala Medical College Teaching
Hospital, Gujranwala, Pakistan, from June 2025 to August 2025. A total of 150 inpatients aged 18 years and
above were enrolled. Sleep quality was measured using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ),
and patients were categorized into poor (RCSQ < 65) and good (RCSQ ≥ 65) sleep groups. Short-term BPV
was calculated as the difference between maximum and minimum systolic and diastolic readings across three
days (nine readings total). Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. The Mann–Whitney U test was
used to compare BPV between the two sleep quality groups.
Results: The mean age of participants was 45.3 ± 20.15 years, with 52% females. Poor sleep quality was
found in 47.3% of patients. The Mann–Whitney U test revealed significantly higher BPV in the poor sleep
group for both systolic (U = 2,179.5, p = 0.017) and diastolic (U = 2,242.5, p = 0.030) pressures.
Conclusion: Poor sleep quality is prevalent among inpatients and is significantly associated with increased
short-term BPV. These findings highlight the importance of promoting adequate sleep to reduce
cardiovascular instability in hospital settings.