Effects of Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Improve the Sleep of Korean Elderly: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose: This systematic review investigated the effects of non-pharmacological interventions to improve the sleep of the Korean elderly at home and in facilities. Methods: A literature search was performed using electronic databases (RISS, KISS, KMbase, KoreaMed, DBpia) from 2010 to 2021. Participants' characteristics, intervention characteristics, and measured sleep outcomes were systematically reviewed. A qualitative appraisal of studies was performed using the RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools. Results: Of 954 publications identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. Two studies were randomized controlled trials and 21 studies were quasi-experimental designs with a non-equivalent control group. The contents of 23 intervention studies that aimed to improve sleep included massage, auricular acupressure therapy, laughter therapy, heat therapy, exercise, and aromatherapy. The Korean Sleep Scale A was the most frequently used sleep instrument, in 18 studies. Most interventions were effective in improving sleep, but some inconsistent results were reported. Conclusion: Non-pharmacological interventions for the improvement of sleep in the elderly are useful as therapeutic interventions as part of nursing care, because they are simple and easy to apply. However, to draw clear conclusions about the effect of interventions, it will be necessary to gather results from intervention studies using rigorous methodologies in the future.