Effect of a hand massage with a warm hand bath on sleep and relaxation in elderly women with disturbance of sleep: A crossover trial.
Yukiko Kudo, Makiko Sasaki
PMID 32017413WHAT IT FOUND
A 25-minute hand bath and massage in the evening improved sleep efficiency and reduced the time it took to fall asleep in older women with sleep problems.
Participants also reported feeling more relaxed and sleepy, though total sleep time did not change.
Key findings
01The intervention significantly increased sleep efficiency and decreased sleep onset latency compared to the control day.
02Participants reported significantly higher subjective comfort, warmth, sleepiness, and relaxation immediately after the intervention.
03Heart rate decreased significantly after the intervention, but other measures of autonomic nervous activity did not change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was not double-blind because a single researcher delivered the intervention, which could introduce bias in subjective reporting. Participants were recruited via bulletin boards, introducing potential self-selection bias. The sample size was small (28 participants) and limited to elderly women, so results may not generalize to men or younger populations. Autonomic nervous activity was only measured before and after the intervention, not during sleep, limiting the understanding of physiological mechanisms.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this intervention increases total sleep time. The study found no significant difference in total sleep time or time in bed, only improvements in how efficiently sleep occurred and how quickly participants fell asleep.