Non-pharmacological interventions targeting sleep quality in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives

This review aimed to examine the available evidence about non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) aimed at improving sleep quality in older adults without insomnia or dementia.

Methods: Studies on NPIs targeting older adults’ sleep were searched in the PsycInfo, PubMed and Scopus databases, with no restriction on publication year up to September 2021. Studies on NPIs for older adults with no diagnosed sleep disorders were included, while those on pharmacological therapies and/or concerning pathological samples were excluded. The risk of bias was assessed using tools based on Joanna Briggs’ criteria. The data extracted were meta-analyzed using random effects models for subgroups of NPIs.

Results: Of the 1,893 records identified, 31 studies on NPIs (N = 2,224; range of mean ages: 60-78 years) were analyzed. All NPIs improved self-reported sleep quality, albeit to a different extent (physical activity: d=.97 − 95% CI=.62, 1.32-; psychological/psychoeducational, or NPIs that combined more than one sleep-targeting activity: d range: .21 to .97). Only the NPIs based on physical activity improved objectively-measured sleep, d=.31 (.04, .57). The methodological quality of most studies was limited.

Conclusion: The most often used NPIs targeting sleep rely on physical activity and sensory stimulation with promising results on sleep quality for the former. More data are needed on psychological/psychoeducational NPIs and combined interventions in order to test their effectiveness. The methodological weaknesses of the available studies suggest they their findings should be interpreted with caution.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2056879

Keywords:

• Meta-analysis
• non-pharmacological interventions
• older adults
• systematic review
• sleep

Acknowledgements

This work was carried out within the scope of the project “Use-inspired basic research”, for which the Department of General Psychology of the University of Padova has been recognized as “Dipartimento di Eccellenza” by the Ministry of University and Research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The authors received no funding from any external sources.

Notes

1 References marked with an asterisk indicate studies included in the systematic review and meta-analysis