The Effectiveness of a Multi-Sensory Sleep-Promotion Program on Sleep Quality among Hospitalized Older Adults of Thailand: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ABSTRACT

Background/Objective

Older adults suffer from sleep disturbances, especially during hospitalization, affecting their health condition, recovery, and in-hospital mortality. Therefore, we aimed to explore the effectiveness of a multi-sensory sleep-promotion program on sleep quality among hospitalized Thai older adults.

Methods

In a quasi-experimental study, the 52 eligible older adults in a private medical ward were equally assigned into two groups. The experimental group received a sleep quality assessment after the first night of admission, the 60-minute multi-sensory sleep-promotion program for three nights, and an outcome evaluation on the last night after the intervention. In contrast, the control group received routine care for the same period. Sleep quality was measured by the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale (Thai version). In addition, independent and paired samples t-tests compared the sleep quality between and within the two groups.

Results

The older adults in the experimental group had better sleep quality than those who did not (p < .001). Those who participated in the multi-sensory sleep-promotion program markedly improved their sleep quality over five days (p < .001).

Conclusion

A multi-sensory sleep-promotion program can promote the sleep quality of older adults. The five alternative methods to promote sleep are effective without the deleterious effects of hypnotics and sedatives often experienced among older adults. Therefore, nurses and other healthcare professionals can implement this program as standard practice. In addition, they may adjust it to fit the acuity level and care dependencies of older adults in other cultures to promote sleep quality.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to those who contributed to developing the multi-sensory sleep-promotion program and to the older adults who participated in the study. We would also like to acknowledge the hospital staff for their cooperation and participation during the research process. Lastly, special appreciation is extended to Dr. Andrew C. Mills for grammar proving and reviewing early drafts.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Clinical trial registration

Center for Open Science Framework, OSF REGISTRIES: https://osf.io/cjgsb

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Fundamental Fund of Khon Kaen University, has received funding support from the National Science, Research and Innovation Fund (NSRF) (Grant Number NSRF63-009). Appreciation is extended to these research and training centers for making this research possible.