Music to Improve Sleep Quality in Adults With Depression and Insomnia

Music to Improve Sleep Quality in Adults With Depression and Insomnia: a Randomized Controlled Trial Using Mixed Methods

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder for patients with depression. This has a major impact on the quality of life for the individual.

The aim is to investigate, whether music intervention is effective in

1. improving sleep quality,
2. reducing symptoms of depression and
3. improving quality of life

Participants use a sound pillow and selected music in the The Music Star app at home as a sleep aid in 4 weeks.

Depression is a common health problem in Denmark with a prevalence for depression of 17-18%. Depression has serious personal and social consequence. Sleep disorders are common in patients with depression. Resolving sleep disturbances in depression may prevent worsening of symptoms and relapse.

Music listening is widely used as a sleep aid. A study from the Cochrane library shows consensus that music may be helpful to improve sleep quality in insomnia. It remains unclear if music listening is helpful to patients with depression as it is to a broader population.

A randomized controlled trial address the use of music as a supplementary treatment to improve sleep in depression.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Out patients in treatment for depression in psychiatry, Unit for Depression, Aalborg University Hospital.
• ICD-10 diagnosis of unipolar depression F32 or F33.
• Sleeping problems identified by HAM-D by a total score of 3 on sleep items 4-6, or a single score = 2 on at least one sleep item.
• Following treatment standards according to national guidelines.(pharmacological treatment, psychotherapy, psycho education, Electro Convulsive Therapy).
• 4 weeks of treatment and/or in stabilized pharmacological treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• ICD-10 diagnosis of depression F32 or F33 and psychotic episodes
• substance or alcohol abuse
• sentence to treatment by law
• restless legs syndrome
• obstructive sleep apnoea or other organic sleep disorders
• hearing loss
• dislike of music