The Effect of Aromatherapy using Lavender on the Quality of Sleep in Older People referred to Monempour Healthcare Setting in Tabriz: A Single-Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Sleep as a component effect on life satisfaction among older people. Lavender Aromatherapy as a safe and sedative sleep enhancing intervention of complementary medicine is an alternative to pharmaceutical protocols for sleep disturbances and improving life satisfaction. Therefore, this current study aimed to explore the effect of aromatherapy using lavender on sleep quality and life satisfaction in the older people. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted on volunteer 80 elders referred to monempour healthcare setting in Tabriz, Iran, who were randomly allocated into two groups with 40 elderly in each group. The intervention group inhaled lavender essential oil dropped on a cotton ball and attached to their collar, before sleeping for two weeks and discarded it after waking up, while the control group received no intervention. All participants were asked to fill out the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and diner life satisfaction with life (SWLS) before and after the study. Collected data was analyzed via the SPSS version 18 software using t-test and logistic regression. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of socio-demographic characteristics sleep quality and life satisfaction score before intervention (p > 0.05). After the study, the mean scores of five seven components of Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index as well as the mean of total score of the index in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group (P < 0.001) and mean score of satisfaction with life significantly improved (P < 0.001). In the logistic regression analysis, no potential confounding variable influenced sleep quality as the dependent variable (P > 0.05). By eliminating all confounders, aromatherapy significantly predicted sleep quality (OR=8.28, CI=1.55- 44.18, P=0.01). Conclusion: These findings can be used by nursing managers to integrate complementary therapies into nursing practice. Lavender aromatherapy can be used as a non-invasive, easily applicable, cost-effective method for improving sleep quality and life satisfaction.