Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Quality in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common health problem in patients on hemodialysis. This descriptive study was carried out with patients from a hemodialysis unit in the province of Eskişehir, Turkey. Of the 317 patients in the unit, 244 (77.0%) comprised the study group. RLS was assessed by diagnostic criteria defined by the International RLS Working Group, sleep quality by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and depression by the Beck Depression Inventory. RLS was found in 15.6% of patients and was associated with depression and sleep quality. Sleep quality is impaired with the increasing severity of RLS. RLS is an important health problem in patients on hemodialysis.