Background Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients are known to have sleep disturbances. Quality of sleep may affect quality of life, but this association has not been systematically evaluated.

Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the association of quality of sleep, quality of life and SLE disease activity in patients diagnosed with SLE.

Methods 132 SLE patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SLE according to the ACR classification criteria were enrolled in this study. The patients completed the following questionnaires: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the 12 item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), the Lupus Patient-Reported Outcome tool (LupusPRO), SLE Quality of Life Questionnaire (SLE - QoL). Clinical information, including the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), was obtained from medical records. Student's t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation measured were used in statistical analysis.

Results The majority of the participants (84,4%) had sleep disturbances (PSQI >5). Total PSQI score was weakly associated with all of the SF-12 subcategories and showed weak to moderate associations with the LupusPRO subcategories (r <0,05), except for “medication” (r <0,20). “Sleep duration” was not associated with any of the SF-12 or LupusPRO subcategories. “Sleep efficiency” was weakly associated with “physical health”, “physical function”, and “pain“ in the SF-12 and LupusPRO. “Sleep quality” and “sleep disturbances” were weakly associated with “pain” and the “emotional” and “mental” subcategories in the SF-12 and LupusPRO. SLE - QoL was significantly higher in patients with good sleep.

Conclusions We found that quality of sleep, especially “sleep efficiency”, was poor for the majority of patients with SLE. Quality of sleep was associated with various aspects of quality of life, especially pain, vitality, and emotional health. Management of pain and emotional health may be important for improving quality of sleep in SLE patients.

Disclosure of Interest None declared