For many people with kidney disease, dialysis can be extremely inconvenient. Nocturnal dialysis, a newer treatment option, is starting to change that.
 
Nocturnal dialysis, or dialysis done at night, can be performed at a dialysis center or at home, while the patient sleeps. This allows the blood to be cleaned for about eight hours, a vast improvement compared to the standard three hour sessions. Since nocturnal is usually done at home, it can be performed more frequently than three times per week.
 
The benefits of nocturnal dialysis are not only for convenience sake. It also cleans the blood better, improves heart health, reduces the need for some medications and improves quality of life. Nocturnal dialysis patients also have less restrictions in their diet.
 
For more information about nocturnal dialysis, visit the AAKP Web site.

This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Renal Flash.