Sleep disturbance in persistent allergic rhinitis measured using actigraphy

Background: Tiredness, fatigue, and impaired quality of life are common in patients with persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR). These symptoms may also be associated with reduced sleep quality in individuals with rhinitis. Objective: To determine whether sleep disturbance can be detected using actigraphy in patients with PAR. Methods: Ten house dust mite-allergic rhinitic patients and 10 nonallergic nonrhinitic control subjects were studied for 5 consecutive days and night. Continuous activity monitoring during the study period using actigraphy was used to obtain markers of sleep quality, such as sleep onset, sleep duration, and sleep fragmentation. In addition, participants recorded in a sleep diary the time they went to bed, the time they went to sleep, the time they awoke, and the quality of their sleep. Results: Allergic rhinitic patients were found to have an increased fragmentation index value, indicative of reduced sleep quality and increased sleep disturbance, compared with the control group (P = .007). Conclusions: Using actigraphy, we identified specific sleep disturbances in patients with PAR that may result in the increased tiredness, fatigue, and impaired quality of life typically experienced in such patients. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2009;103:190-194.