Effects of effleurage massage on sleep quality in women hospitalized for high-risk pregnancies: A randomized crossover design

Abstract

Introduction

It is important for health care professionals to improve sleep quality of women hospitalized for high-risk pregnancies to avoid adverse maternal and infant consequences.

Methods

A randomized crossover study was conducted at a medical center in southern Taiwan. Sixty hospitalized pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive either two consecutive nights of 20-minute effleurage massage followed by two nights of routine care, or the reverse order. Sleep quality was assessed using subjective measures, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale, as well as objective data collected via wrist actigraphy.

Results

The women perceived their sleep quality to be better when they received massages than when they received standard care (z = 5.801, p < .001). Additionally, the women had shorter sleep latency (z = −6.493, p < .001), less frequent awakenings (z = −4.829, p < .001), and longer total sleep duration (z = 5.713, p < .001) when receiving massage. These improvements were evident regardless of the women's initial sleep quality.

Conclusion

A 20-minute effleurage massage before bedtime for two consecutive days improves sleep quality of hospitalized women with high-risk pregnancies. Massage should be included in routine care for these women to avoid negative maternal and fetal health outcomes caused by insufficient sleep.