Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Vital Signs and Perceived Quality of Sleep in the Intermediate Care Unit: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Background Sleep deprivation in hospitalized patients is common and can have serious detrimental effects on recovery from illness. Lavender aromatherapy has improved sleep in a variety of clinical settings, but the effect has not been tested in the intermediate care unit. Objectives To determine the effect of inhalation of 100% lavender oil on patients’ vital signs and perceived quality of sleep in an intermediate care unit. Methods A randomized controlled pilot study was conducted in 50 patients. Control patients received usual care. The treatment group had 3 mL of 100% pure lavender oil in a glass jar in place at the bedside from 10 pm until 6 am. Vital signs were recorded at intervals throughout the night. At 6 am all patients completed the Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire to assess quality of sleep. Results Blood pressure was significantly lower between midnight and 4 am in the treatment group than in the control group (P = .03) According to the overall mean change score in blood pressure between the baseline and 6 am measurements, the treatment group had a decrease in blood pressure and the control group had an increase; however, the difference between the 2 groups was not significant (P = .12). Mean overall sleep score was higher in the intervention group (48.25) than in the control group (40.10), but the difference was not significant. Conclusion Lavender aromatherapy may be an effective way to improve sleep in an intermediate care unit.

Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] Lavender essential oil was most frequently studied, with results trending toward a positive effect. 20,21,[23][24][25][26][28][29][30][31][33][34][35][36] A small to moderate benefit of lavender on sleep was found in a systematic review of the literature specific to lavender and sleep. 37 Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil was selected for the study intervention based on its documented sedative and hypnotic properties 18 and its safety profile.…”

“…Inhaled, their chemical constituents enter the circulatory system through the lungs and the neurochemical pathway via the limbic system. 18 A systematic review of the literature on inhaled essential oils and sleep 19 and 2 additional studies 20,21 identified 17 studies with a wide variety of methodologies. Thirteen of the studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs).…”

Effects of aromatherapy on sleep quality and anxiety of patients

“…Sleep disorders can be associated with increased sympathetic activity and subsequent increased blood pressure and heart rate, raising the risk for developing cardiovascular problems among patients hospitalized in coronary care units (Hajibagheri et al, 2014). Thus, avoiding sleep disorder in patients with cardiac diseases is also crucial in terms of reducing anxiety (Hajibagheri et al, 2014;Lytle et al, 2014).…”

Evaluation of Sleep Quality in Patients with Lung Resection

“…UDEEF'de hastanın uykusunu etkileyen etmenler yani yatak, ışık, ısı, gürültü gibi çevresel etmenler, hastalığı hakkında yeterli bilgi verilip verilmemesi, kaygı düzeyi gibi psikolojik etmenler ele alınmıştır (23). Literatürde hastanede yatan bireylerin uykusuzluk nedenlerine göz atıldığında; ağrı, gürültü, stres ve kaygı, kalabalık, yatak, yatağın temizlik ve düzeni, ışık gibi faktörlerin önemli olduğu belirlenmiştir (46,47). Hastanede uygulanan rutin işlemler uykunun bölünmesine neden olmakta ya da hastaların alışkın oldukları zaman diliminde uykuya dalmalarını önlemektedir.…”

“…Çalışmalar kanser hastalarının ilaç, mod ve ağrıdan dolayı diğer hastalara göre daha kötü uyku kalitesine sahip olduklarını göstermektedir. Akciğer kanseri hastalarda yapılan bir çalışma hastaların %52'sinde uyku bozukluğu, %29'unda ciddi uykusuzluk olduğunu kanıtlamıştır (43,46,48). Bizim çalışmamızda da torakotomi sonrası hastalar ciddi ağrı problemi yaşamaktadırlar ve yakın takip amaçlı yoğun bakım ünitesinde tedavileri yapılmaktadır.…”