Gentle rocking movements during sleep in the elderly.

ABSTRACT: Vestibular stimulation in the form of rocking movements could be a promising non-pharmacological intervention for populations with reduced sleep quality, such as the elderly. We hypothesized that rocking movements influence sleep by promoting comfort. We assessed whether gentle rocking movements can facilitate the transition from wake to sleep, increase sleep spindle density and promote deep sleep in elderly people. We assessed self-reported comfort using a pilot protocol including translational movements and movements along a pendulum trajectory with peak linear accelerations between 0.10 and 0.20 m/s² . We provided whole-night stimulation using the settings rated most comfortable during the pilot study (movements along a pendulum trajectory with peak linear acceleration of 0.1

SUBMITTER: van Sluijs R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7757236 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature