The Effect of Aromatherapy on Sleep and Quality of Life in Menopausal Women with Sleeping Problems: A Non-Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

The effects of aromatherapy massage in menopausal women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)'s prevalence increases during menopause. Aromatherapy massage with different oils is applied in the treatment of knee OA. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aromatherapy massage with Bergamot essential oil (BEO) on pain, functionality, sleep quality and menopausal symptoms in menopausal women with knee OA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 60 menopausal participants diagnosed with grade II-III OA. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: BEO (n=20), placebo (n=20) and control (n=20). The participants in the BEO group, received aromatherapy massage with BEO, in the placebo group aromatherapy massage with sweet almond oil was applied twice a week for 4 weeks. All participants underwent conventional physiotherapy. Visual Analog Scale was used to assess the severity of pain, Osteoarthritis Index to assess functionality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality and Menopausal Symptoms Rating Scale to assess menopausal symptoms. All measurements were performed before and after the study.

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that all three groups were effective on pain, functionality, sleep quality and menopausal symptoms (p<0.001). The results of the study showed that, aromatherapy massage with BEO was found to be more effective on functionality (p<0.001), pain (p<0.001) and menopausal symptoms (somatic and psychological symptoms) (p<0.001) compared to the control and placebo groups. It was determined that aromatherapy massage with BEO did not create a significant difference between the sleep quality scale scores in the control group and the placebo group (p=0.454).

CONCLUSION

This study found that aromatherapy massage with BEO improved functionality, reduced pain and menopausal symptoms, and did not affect sleep quality. We consider that its application in addition to routine treatment may be useful to reduce symptoms.

A feasibility study on indoor therapeutic horticulture to alleviate sleep and anxiety problems: The impact of plants and activity choice on its therapeutic effect

INTRODUCTION

Therapeutic horticulture (TH) is increasingly being applied for sub-health or patient mental health care. Whether plant and activity type will affect TH's effectiveness is unclear.

AIM

To evaluate the feasibility of an indoor TH for alleviating the anxiety symptoms and sleeping problems of people with poor sleep quality, and explore the potential affection of plant and activity type on health benefits.

METHOD

Thirty subjects (all with sleep problems and half with anxiety problems) were randomly assigned to three groups to do horticultural activities with ornamental plants, general aromatic plants, or aromatic plants with reported mental health functions, respectively. Six indoor TH activities were then held sequentially within two weeks. Psychological scales, subjective feedback questionnaires, and physiological indicators were used as evaluation indexes before and after horticulture activities.

RESULTS

The TH relieved subjects' sleep and anxiety problems and was particularly effective in alleviating anxiety among people with high anxiety levels. Using ornamental plants was more effective in relieving stress while functional aromatic plants performed better in sleep improvement and satisfaction to TH. Each horticultural activity could improve mood state but showed different effects on the vitality of the participants.

CONCLUSION

The above findings provided some basis for the potential benefits of selecting plants and activities based on psychological care needs in the development of TH plans. Future research that expands upon the current project is warranted. A larger sample size is beneficial for obtaining more powerful statistical results.

The effect of aromatherapy massage with lemon and peppermint essential oil on menopausal symptoms: A double-blinded, randomized placebo controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

Menopausal and postmenopausal women experience many physical and psychological symptoms. The positive effects of aromatherapy sessions with different oils on menopausal symptoms are well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an aromatherapy massage with peppermint and lemon essential oil on menopausal symptoms.

METHODS

Total 63 menopausal and postmenopausal women were included in this study. Participants were randomly divided into three groups: Menta peppermint (n = 21), Citrus lemon (n = 21), and Placebo (n = 21). The peppermint and lemon essential oils of the intervention groups were diluted with 1.5 % sweet almond oil. Pure sweet almond oil was used in the placebo group. Each participant in the massage groups received a hand and arm massage with the selected oil twice a week for 4 weeks in 30-min sessions. Participants' menopausal symptoms were assessed before and after application using the Menopause Symptoms Rating Scale (MRS).

RESULTS

When the differences in the treatment groups according to time were examined, it was found that there were statistically significant differences in lemon (F = 9.561, p = 0.003, η2 = 0.139) and peppermint essential oil (F = 15.687, p = 0.001, η2 = 0.210) groups according to time. The peppermint essential oil group was more effective than the lemon group. In addition, both peppermint and lemon essential oils were effective for somatic symptoms (p < 0.05). For psychological symptoms, only the lemon oil (p = 0.011) proved effective, and for urogenital symptoms, only the peppermint essential oil (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The study found that aromatherapy massage with peppermint and lemon essential oil effectively reduced menopausal symptoms. Peppermint essential oil was more effective than lemon essential oil in reducing the menopausal symptoms.

THE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05677698.

Effect of a lavender essential oil and sleep hygiene protocol on insomnia in postmenopausal women: A pilot randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Insomnia and vasomotor symptoms are frequently experienced during the menopausal transition and in postmenopause, worsening sleep maintenance and quality of life. Our study evaluated the use of lavender essential oil and sleep hygiene guidance on quality of life, sleep patterns and self-reported hot flashes in postmenopausal women with insomnia diagnosis.

METHODS

This study is part of a larger experimental, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. We included 35 postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of insomnia who were distributed in two groups: A Placebo group (sunflower oil) and an Aroma group (Lavandula angustifolia essential oil); both inhaled the oils before bedtime for 29 days. The groups received sleep hygiene guidelines and weekly follow-up. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the effect of the intervention, and a sleep diary was used to assess sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), and sleep efficiency (SE) daily. Participants who complained of vasomotor symptoms at baseline kept a daily record of their frequency and intensity.

RESULTS

All participants benefited in almost all domains of quality of life and in the self-assessed TST and SE. The Aroma group achieved a significant improvement in their overall quality of life score over time. No differences were observed in respect of the hot flashes record and daytime sleepiness.

CONCLUSIONS

The aromatherapy intervention was effective in improving the overall quality of life in the Aroma group. Moreover, the sleep diary and sleep hygiene instructions helped all participants to, respectively, self-assess and improve their sleep patterns.

Global prevalence of sleep disorders during menopause: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sleep disorders are conditions that have long-term effects on health, quality of sexual function, productivity at work, and overall quality of life. Considering that reports on menopausal sleep disorders are heterogeneous, the aim of this research was to determine the global prevalence of sleep disorders during menopause by meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, WoS, ScienceDirect, and Embase databases were checked with suitable keywords. All screening stages of articles were reviewed based on PRISMA and their quality was determined based on STROBE. Data analysis, examination of heterogeneity, and publication bias of factors affecting heterogeneity were performed in CMA software.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of sleep disorders among postmenopausal women was 51.6% (95% CI: 44.6-58.5%). The upper prevalence of sleep disorders was among postmenopausal women at 54.7% (95% CI: 47.2-62.1%). The upper prevalence of sleep disorders in the same population category was related to restless legs syndrome with a prevalence of 63.8% (95% CI: 10.6-96.3%).

CONCLUSION

In this meta-analysis, sleep disorders during menopause were found to be common and significant. Therefore, it is recommended that health policymakers offer pertinent interventions in relation to the health and hygiene of sleep for women in menopause.

Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Yoga in Stress Reduction and Sleep Quality Improvement among Chinese Female College Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

College students, particularly female students, often suffer from severe stress and poor sleep. Aromatherapy yoga has become a popular exercise in recent years and may help reduce stress and improve sleep quality, although empirical evidence is limited. We investigated the effectiveness of aromatherapy yoga intervention in reducing stress and improving sleep quality among Chinese female college students. A total of 89 participants—44 in the experimental group (aromatherapy yoga) and 45 in the control group (yoga)—with an average age of 19.88 ± 1.13 years, were enrolled in this quasi-experimental study. Interventions were performed in the respective groups once a week for 12 weeks, for 90 min each time. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann–Whitney U test (including effect size) were used to test the differences in stress reduction and sleep quality before and after the intervention. From the findings of the current research, both therapies did not help female students’ stress levels or sleep hygiene significantly. However, aromatherapy yoga has the potential to improve sleep disturbances experienced by female college students. Additionally, there was no difference in the amount of stress or the quality of sleep between the aromatherapy yoga groups and the regular yoga groups before and after therapy.

Clinical profile and quality of life in climacteric women

BACKGROUND

The Quality of Life in climacteric women is intrinsically related to signs and symptoms influenced by the decrease of estrogen and psychosocial factors linked to the natural aging process. Thus, this study aimed to trace the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of climacteric women working at the State University of Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) and evaluate their Quality of Life.

METHODS

It is a descriptive, exploratory, and quantitative study. The population consisted of female workers from UERN, aging between 40 and 65 years. The total sample consisted of 63 women who answered the forms. Data collection was completely online, which allowed the women to have free choice to choose the most appropriate time to answer the questions.

RESULTS

The majority of the participants were older than 50 years (53.97%, n = 34), were married or in a stable union (55.56%, n = 35), and lived in Mossoró-RN (82.53%, n = 52). Regarding skin color, white and brown women had the same percentage of 44.44% (n = 28). The pain, general health status, and vitality domains evidence the predominance of poor quality of life in the SF-36 questionnaire. Regarding the level of satisfaction with their current health status, 4.76% (n = 3) stated that they fit the level considered excellent, 44.44% (n = 28) very good, 46, 03% (n = 29) were good, and 4.77% (n = 3) stated unsatisfied with their current health status. The intensity of symptoms related to estrogen deficiency established by the Kupperman menopause index is as Mild 55.56% (n = 35), moderate 41.27% (n = 26), and severe 3.17% (n = 2).

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence of symptoms and perception of these symptoms differs from woman to woman, to a greater or lesser extent. These findings emphasize the need for qualified and individualized care for the needs of these women in health services and the development of applicable solutions for solving problems based on each woman profile.

A critical review on clinical evidence of the efficacy of lavender in sleep disorders

Sleep disorders are one of the most prevalent psychiatric diseases. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder amongst the general population. It is also one of the most frequent complaints in primary healthcare centers. Lavender is called "the broom of the brain" in different oriental traditional medicines. It is one of the most used plants for patients with sleep disorders. This study reviews what is currently known about the use of lavender for sleep disorders in patients with different diseases, from cancers and end-stage renal disease to neurological-psychiatric diseases (e.g., depression, dementia, and autism), respiratory, cardiac, and metabolic diseases. Additionally, its most used administration route is the inhalation of its essential oil (i.e., aromatherapy) alone or in combination by massage. Some limitations of the reviewed literature were discussed briefly. Overall, this critical review provides promising evidence of the lavender efficacy for sleep disorders in a wide variety of populations and diseases. However, further clinical studies with robust design and longer durations of intervention are necessary for more evidence-based judgment on its effect on sleep problems and to investigate its mechanism of action.