The effect of reflexology on sleep quality of elderly: A single–blind clinical trial

Background and Objective: Sleep disturbance can negatively affect the quality of life of older adults. Nowadays, complementary and alternative medicine is commonly used to treat insomnia in old aged ones. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of reflexology on improvement of sleep quality in elderly. Materials and Methods: This was a single-blind controlled clinical trial on 46 men at the age of 65-70 years in Tabriz, Iran. Participants were randomly divided into two equal groups. One group received reflexology (intervention) and the other did not (control). The intervention was performed for each leg once a week in the mornings and for 10 minutes. The study measurement tool was the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index completed before and after the intervention by the researcher assistant. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: There was no significant statistic difference among the questionnaire components except for “sleep duration” (P = 0.010) between the two groups. Comparing pre- and post-intervention scores, the differences between two items of the questionnaire, “subjective quality of sleep” (P = 0.029) and “delayed sleep phase” (P = 0.001), were statistically significant. Conclusion: According to the study results, the maximum effect of the intervention was on subjective sleep quality and sleep duration disorders. We faced limited access to the elderly in all areas of Tabriz therefore, study could be conducted in health centers in future research. Keywords: Reflexology, older adults, sleep quality