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Background & Aim: Rapid changes experienced after child birth expose mothers to unpleasant experiences such as disturbances in sleep pattern. These experiences threaten health of mothers and infants. Some studies have shown that exercise can be an effective and non-pharmacologic method in improving sleep quality. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise on sleep quality among postpartum mothers.

Methods & Materials: This was a randomized clinical trial. Eighty primiparous women aged 18-35 years were recruited from health centers in Rafsanjan in 2009. The inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancy, lack of any acute and chronic physical and mental illnesses, having healthy and term babies, and having vaginal deliveries. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. Women in the intervention group received five 30-minutes sessions of Pilates weekly for eight weeks. The PSQI instrument was used to measure the related variables at baseline, forth and eighth weeks after the deliveries. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures ANOVA.

Results: Significant improvement was seen in the intervention group within eight weeks follow-up the interaction within time and group was significant (P=0.02). Comparison of mean sleep quality between the two groups has shown that the intervention was effective (P<0.001).

Conclusion: The Pilates exercise was effective in improving quality of sleep in postpartum period.

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Background & Aim: Poor sleep quality is a common problem among patients hospitalized in the CCUs. This study aimed to determine the effect of environmental factors modification strategies on quality of sleep among patients admitted to CCU.

Methods & Materials: This was a quasi-experimental study with a single-blinded design. Sixty patients admitted to the CCU of Shariati hospital were divided into two experiment and control groups. Sleep quality was measured in the first day of admission and three days later using the Pittsburgh sleep quality index in both groups. In the intervention group, we implemented a modified work environment between the two measurements. Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared and t-test in the SPSS v.18.

Results: Findings showed a significant decrease in sleep quality in the control group after hospitalization, compared with the intervention group (P<0.001). There were no statistically significant changes in the sleep quality before and after hospitalization in the intervention group (P=0.053).

Conclusion: Using environmental factors mitigation strategies can improve sleep quality of patients admitted to CCUs.

 

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Background & Aim: Fatigue and sleep disorders are the most common physical complaints in hemodialysis patients. It seems necessary to find effective, low-complication and cost-effective treatments to alleviate these problems. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of slow-stroke back massage on the level of fatigue and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.
Methods & Materials: In this randomized controlled trial, 82 hemodialysis patients hospitalized in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Abadan in 2018, were selected based on the inclusion criteria and were allocated to either the intervention or control group using permuted block randomization (4 blocks). The intervention group underwent massage therapy for 12 sessions. The numerical rating scale for measuring fatigue and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire were completed 14 times and three times respectively, by both groups. Data were analyzed through the SPSS software version 22 using descriptive statistical tests, independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance.
Results: The results showed that before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in demographic variables between the intervention and control groups (P>0.05). Significance of group and time interactions for fatigue score showed that the trend of changes in mean fatigue scores was different in the two groups and over the study time period (P<0.001). Also, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the total score of sleep quality and all sleep components except two components (mental quality of sleep and sleep disorders) (P<0.05).
Conclusion: This study showed that slow-stroke back massage improves fatigue and sleep quality in hemodialysis patients. Therefore, it is recommended as an inexpensive, effective and uncomplicated method in hemodialysis patients.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20181119041702N1
 

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Background & Aim: Decreased sleep quality is one of the most common complications of radiotherapy in cancer patients. Although soaking feet in warm water and foot reflexology are two easy, inexpensive, and accessible ways to improve sleep quality, which one is more effective, has not been evaluated in existing studies. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of soaking feet in warm water and foot reflexology on sleep quality in patients undergoing radiotherapy.
Methods & Materials: This two-group randomized clinical trial was conducted on 62 cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy at Reza (AS) Medical Center in Mashhad in 2020. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups of soaking feet in warm water and reflexology. In the group of soaking feet in warm water, patients soaked their feet in 41 °C water for 20 minutes every night from the seventh day after starting radiotherapy for two weeks. In the foot reflexology group, the intervention was performed from the seventh day after starting radiotherapy for two weeks every night for 10 minutes for each foot in three areas including solar plexus, pituitary gland and pineal gland. Sleep quality score was assessed using the Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire on the seventh day of radiotherapy (pre-test) and then 7, 14 and 28 days later. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 20 using descriptive/inferential statistics.
Results: The results showed the total score of sleep quality in the two groups decreased significantly over time (P<0.001), and this reduction was from 13.81±1.33 on the pre-test day to 4.86±1.73 on the day 28 for the reflexology group, and from 13.55±1.23 to 7.92±1.97 for the group of soaking feet in warm water. It should be noted that a decrease in the score of Petersburg questionnaire means an improvement in sleep quality.
Conclusion: Foot reflexology and soaking feet in warm water improve sleep quality in patients undergoing radiotherapy but foot reflexology is more effective in improving sleep quality. Therefore, using this method is recommended.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20190625044009N1

 

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Background & Aim: Chest pain is one of the main symptoms of acute coronary syndrome, and sleep disorders are among common problems in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Curcuma Longa on chest pain and sleep quality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
Methods & Materials: This triple-blind clinical trial was conducted on 270 patients in the Coronary Care Unit of Kowsar Hospital in Semnan, with random allocation to three groups (intervention, placebo and control) in 2020-2021. The intervention group received 500 mg of Curcuma Longa tablets and the placebo group received 500 mg of starch, Oisel and lactose tablets at 9 a.m. after breakfast once a day for 3 days. The control group received daily interventions. Chest pain was assessed using the pain assessment tool before the intervention and half an hour after the intervention for 3 consecutive days. Sleep quality was evaluated by the standardized sleep quality questionnaire of Saint Mary's Hospital in the morning of the first day before the intervention and in the morning of the second and third days after the intervention.
Results: There was no significant difference in the average reduction of chest pain intensity from the first to the third day between the groups (P>0.05). But there was a significant difference in the chest pain intensity within the intervention, placebo and control groups (P<0.001), and the average chest pain intensity on the second day compared to the first day of hospitalization decreased in three groups (P<0.001). However, the decrease in chest pain intensity on the third day compared to the second day of hospitalization was not significant in the three groups (P>0.05). The average score of sleep quality before the intervention in the intervention group was higher than that of in the placebo group (P=0.021), but on the second and third days of the intervention, it was lower in the intervention group compared to the placebo (P<0.001) and control groups (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The results showed that Curcuma Longa did not have a significant effect on chest pain in the patients with acute coronary syndrome, but it improved the quality of sleep. Therefore, Curcuma Longa can be used to improve the sleep quality of these patients.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20110427006318N14

 

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Background & Aim: The misuse of opioids is one of the most important problems in today's world, directly affecting the quality sleep for individuals. This study sought to explore the effect of a nursing care program, based on Roy's adaptation model, on the sleep quality of patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.
Methods & Materials: This randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted between December 2022 and March 2023, involving 60 opioid abuse patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment at the Addiction Reduction Center in Isfahan. Convenience sampling was employed, with participants allocated randomly using random sequence generation software into the intervention group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). Data was collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire. The intervention comprised a three-month nursing care program based on Roy's adaptation model, while the control group received routine treatments. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26 software, utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The results showed a significant decrease in the total average score of sleep quality in the intervention group after the intervention, indicating an improvement in sleep quality (P<0.001). Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in the total average score of sleep quality between the intervention and control groups (P>0.05); however, a significant difference was observed after the intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that the nursing care program based on Roy's adaptation model is effective in improving the sleep quality of patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. Therefore, this model can provide a promising framework for delivering care to such patients.
Clinical trial registry: IRCT20141127020108N6