The Efficacy of Acupressure on Sleep Quality in Menopausal Women

The Effect of Acupressure on Sleep Quality in Menopausal Women

Sleep disorder is a common problem in menopausal women and the decrease in the sleep leads to poor daily activity. Traditional Chinese acupressure is a noninvasive, effective and safe technique that can be easily taught to menopausal women so that they apply it as a self-care method and a manager of sleep disruption. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure on sleep quality of postmenopausal women.This double blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 120 qualified menopausal women at the age of 41-65 years; and sleep quality was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI ).Participants were randomly assigned to an acupressure group, a sham acupressure group and a control group by two time randomized method (systematic and simple randomized). These interventions were carried out for 4 consecutive weeks. Participants in acupressure group and sham acupressure group learned to carry out acupressure technique as a self care at home with the simultaneous massage techniques that were to be performed 2 hours before sleep, whereas only conversation was used in the control group. The statistical software package for social science (SPSS) Version 17 was used for data analysis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• spending at least 12 months after amenorrhea or follicle stimulating hormone
• (FSH) Serum level ≥ 40,
• healthy of the pressure points,
• having a full consciousness
• having an acceptable ability of listening
• speaking to receive training
• doing the self- care techniques at home,
• no mental and physical disorders,
• getting a score higher than 5 from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
• able to sit for about 30 minutes.

Exclusion Criteria:

• having specific eating diets,
• addicted to narcotic drugs,
• using the drugs causing sleep disorders,
• suffering from special disease,
• taking hormonal drugs during 3 last months,
• using herbal medicine to improve the menopausal symptoms,
• BMI higher than 30,
• having the moderate and severe depression based on Beck Depression Inventory,
• feeling of severe tiredness/ fatigue and anxiety,
• having circular job specially night job
• lack of cooperation with researchers.