Acupressure and Sleep Quality in Elderly Care

NCT07277725 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2018/25
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 75
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study was carried out in a prospective randomized controlled experimental design in order to evaluate the effect of acupressure on sleep quality and day sleepiness in individuals living in an elderly care center. The study sample consisted of 75 elderly individuals, 38 in experimental and 37 in control groups, who met the inclusion criteria, living in three different care institutions in Düzce. The data were collected using the Elderly Information Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Twelve sessions of acupressure were applied to the individuals in the experimental group every other day three times a week for four weeks. Acupressure was applied to Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupressure points. The PSQI and ESS were applied on the elderly in the experimental group before and after the application, and on the elderly in the control group before the application and at the end of the 12-session acupressure application in the experimental group. The PSQI and ESS were applied in both groups again one month after the last application. It was found that subjective sleep quality and sleep duration increased, sleep latency decreased, habitual sleep efficiency was regulated, and sleep disorders and daytime dysfunction declined through the application of acupressure in the elderly receiving institutional care. It was determined that the total PSQI score decreased and the quality of sleep increased in the experimental group following the application. Moreover, the ESS score and day sleepiness decreased in the experimental group following the application. Consequently, it was concluded that acupressure could be a supplementary and supportive method to be used for sleep disorders in the elderly.

Conditions

Sleep Disorders

Keywords

Acupressure; Geriatric; Nursing; Aged care services; Quality of sleep; Sleep Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Primary Outcome Measure

  Change in sleep quality assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was developed in 1989 by Buysse and colleagues to assess sleep quality. The scale provides a quantitative measure that allows the identification of "good sleep" and "poor sleep." It evaluates sleep quality, sleep quantity, the presence of sleep disturbances, and their severity over the past month. The scale consists of 24 questions, 19 of which are self-report items. The remaining 5 items are answered by a bed partner or roommate, used solely for clinical information, and are not included in the scoring. The PSQI includes seven components evaluating different aspects of sleep: Subjective Sleep Quality, Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Habitual Sleep Efficiency, A PSQI score of 5 or higher reflects clinically significant impairment in sleep quality. Based on these thresholds, sleep quality is categorized as good (0-4 points) or poor (5-21 points).

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and 4 weeks after intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Secondary Outcome Measure

  Baseline (pre-intervention) and 4 weeks after intervention

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the intervention group received acupressure therapy. Acupressure was applied to Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points. Sessions were conducted three times per week, every other day, for four weeks (12 sessions in total).

Behavioral: Acupressure Therapy

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in the control group did not receive any intervention during the study period. They were assessed at the same time points as the intervention group using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

Interventions

Acupressure Therapy BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consisted of acupressure therapy applied to Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (P6), and Sanyinjiao (SP6) points. Sessions were administered three times per week, every other day, for four consecutive weeks, totaling 12 sessions. Each session lasted approximately 20 minutes and was performed by a trained researcher. Participants were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) before and after the intervention

Also known as: Manual Acupressure Therapy, Acupressure at HT7, P6, SP6 Points

Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 65 years and older
• Able to provide informed consent
• Living in the nursing home during the study period
• Willing to participate in acupressure sessions and assessments
• Adequate cognitive ability to complete questionnaires (PSQI, ESS)

You may not qualify if:

• Severe cognitive impairment or dementia preventing questionnaire completion
• Presence of acute psychiatric disorder or severe communication difficulties
• Current use of sedative/hypnotic medications affecting sleep quality
• Severe medical conditions (e.g., terminal illness, unstable cardiovascular disease) that contraindicate participation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Duzce University: lead

Study Sites (2)

stanbul University-Cerrahpaşa ,Graduate School of Health Sciences ,Department of Internal Medicine Nursing

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

stanbul University-Cerrahpaşa

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Samadi P, Alipour Z, Lamyian M. The Effect of Acupressure at Spleen 6 Acupuncture Point on the Anxiety Level and Sedative and Analgesics Consumption of Women during Labor: A Randomized, Single-blind Clinical Trial. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2018 Mar-Apr;23(2):87-92. doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_199_16.

  PMID: 29628954 BACKGROUND

• Yeh CH, Kwai-Ping Suen L, Chien LC, Margolis L, Liang Z, Glick RM, Morone NE. Day-to-Day Changes of Auricular Point Acupressure to Manage Chronic Low Back Pain: A 29-day Randomized Controlled Study. Pain Med. 2015 Oct;16(10):1857-69. doi: 10.1111/pme.12789. Epub 2015 May 19.

  PMID: 25988270 BACKGROUND

• Yeung WF, Ho FY, Chung KF, Zhang ZJ, Yu BY, Suen LK, Chan LY, Chen HY, Ho LM, Lao LX. Self-administered acupressure for insomnia disorder: a pilot randomized controlled trial. J Sleep Res. 2018 Apr;27(2):220-231. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12597. Epub 2017 Sep 8.

  PMID: 28884877 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

Interventions

Acupressure

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Therapy, Soft Tissue; Musculoskeletal Manipulations; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Physical Therapy Modalities; Rehabilitation

Study Officials

• Zeliha Tülek, Professor Doctor

  Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (receiving acupressure) or the control group (no intervention). Randomization was performed using a computer-assisted method to ensure balanced allocation between groups. Both groups were followed concurrently in a parallel design, with assessments conducted at the same time points.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 29, 2025
• First Posted: December 11, 2025
• Study Start: April 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2018
• Study Completion: June 30, 2018
• Last Updated: December 19, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, CSR
• Time Frame: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) from the published thesis are already available. Specifically, data include Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, and demographic variables (age, sex). Since the thesis has been published, these datasets are accessible upon request.
• Access Criteria: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) and supporting documents (study protocol, statistical analysis plan, informed consent form) will be available to qualified researchers.

Locations

TU (2)