The Effect of Inhalation Aromatherapy with Lavender on Sleep Quality of the Elderly in Nursing Care Homes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Nurses who take care of elderly people have witnessed sleep disorders as one of the most common problems in these geriatric patients. As a major non-pharmaceutical method, aromatherapy is considered as a holistic nursing intervention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lavender aromatherapy on sleep quality of elderly people in nursing care homes. Methods: This study conducted “randomized controlled field trial” on 50 elderly people in the nursing care home of Zabol County. The representatives were selected with the help of available sampling method and randomly divided into 2 experimental and control groups. The participants of the experimental group were exposed to lavender essential oil for 7 nights from 10 pm to 6 am. However, placebo (water) was used in the control group. The PSQI questionnaire was completed before and after the intervention by both groups. The data was analyzed using the SPSS software and the statistical tests of chi-square, Fisher exact test, Independent t-test, and paired t-test. This study was a randomized controlled field trial, with the purpose of determining the effect of aromatherapy on sleep quality of elderly people in nursing care homes in the eastern region of Iran (Zabol County) in 2016. Results: There was no significant difference between experimental and control groups as far as the mean score of sleep quality at the beginning was concerned. However, a notable distinction between the 2 (experimental- 6.48 ± 3.33 and control- 9.84 ± 3.76) groups was found in the end. The comparison of sleep mean scores before and after the intervention showed that there was a statistically significant relationship in terms of delay in falling sleep, sleep disorders, and impaired daily functioning. The comparison of sleep mean score change between the experimental and control groups observed delays in falling sleep, sleep duration, sleep disorders, taking sleep medications, and impaired daily functioning (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Lavender aromatherapy had a positive impact on improving the sleep quality of elderly people and may be used as a non-invasive, easy, and low-cost method.