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Res38
The Use of Lavender Aromatherapy to Facilitate Daytime Sleep
By Mark Kurland, University of Texas at Arlington-Graduate Scool of Nursing, Dallas, TX
For further information, please contact: markkurland@mindspring.com
Purpose: This study examined the use of aromatherapy, specifically the essential oil lavender (L. Augustifolia), as a treatment to improve the onset and duration of daytime sleep in nightshift RNs.
Background/Significance: RNs working the nightshift (7p-7a, 11p-7a), which opposes the natural human biological clock or circadian rhythm, report problems concentrating, handling stress, problem solving, making decisions, and listening or relating to co-workers due to sleepiness.
Methods: A quasi-experimental research design consisting of 38 RNs (32 female, 6 male) engaged in full-time, permanent night positions at hospitals in and around the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metropolitan area were randomly assigned to groups using lavender aromatherapy for 14 days of a 28-day period and made daily entries in a sleep/work quality questionnaire/log. Results: Statistical significance was not achieved, although 37% of subjects indicated they felt that the aromatherapy did help the quality of their sleep. Unexpected results revealed, of the 503 reported workdays, RNs were moderately sleepy 53% of the time and extremely sleepy 11% of the time at work, and 53 % were sleepy on the drive home.
Conclusions: A consistent, system-wide approach may be necessary to educate nightshift RNs on how to recognize detrimental sleeping patterns, their effects, and provide institutional support for implementing good sleep hygiene practices. Research into sleep promotion strategies for nightshift RNs is more important than ever to help protect the health of our patients, our own human resources, and the integrity of nursing actions.
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