Interventions that Improve Sleep in Caregivers of Adult Care-Recipients: A Systematic Review

Authors: Fernández-Puerta Laura, Prados Germán, Jiménez-Mejías EladioJournal: Western journal of nursing researchPublished: February 1, 2022DOI: 10.1177/0193945921995477

Strong EvidenceSystematic Reviewn=24 participants

Insomnia

In Plain Language: sleep, explained

The purpose of the present review was to compile and analyze all interventions aimed at improving the sleep-rest pattern of adult caregivers. A database search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Twenty-four papers published between 1998 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. Informal caregivers can benefit from various types of sleep interventions, including (a) cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions (CBIs), (b) caregiver health interventions (CHIs), and (c) exercise programs. Other types of interventions such as acupressure, back massage, reflexology, music, and heart rate variability biofeedback sessions may have beneficial effects on the sleep of caregivers. Yet, studies on this topic are heterogeneous and often have considerable methodological shortcomings. Few clinical trials have explored sleep problems as a dyadic caregiver-patient relationship. It is necessary to conduct new clinical trials to determine the viability and level of evidence of the various strategies aimed at improving sleep of informal caregivers.

Key Findings: what this systematic review found about sleep

✓Cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions, caregiver health interventions, and exercise programs are established approaches that can improve sleep in adult caregivers.
✓Complementary therapies including acupressure, back massage, reflexology, music, and heart rate variability biofeedback show potential benefits for caregiver sleep, but evidence remains limited.
✓Current research on caregiver sleep interventions is characterized by significant methodological heterogeneity and shortcomings, with few studies examining sleep as a dyadic caregiver-patient relationship.

What This Means for You

While reflexology appears in this review as a potentially beneficial option for caregiver sleep, the evidence remains preliminary and inconsistent, so it should not be relied upon as a primary solution without combining it with other proven approaches.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology for caregiver sleep support falls within a growing evidence base, but practitioners should acknowledge the limited research specifically on reflexology and encourage clients to also pursue evidence-based interventions like cognitive-behavioral approaches or exercise.

Study Design: how this systematic review was run

Sample Size

24 participants

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Sleep: common questions

What does this study say about sleep?

What did this study find?

Cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions, caregiver health interventions, and exercise programs are established approaches that can improve sleep in adult caregivers. Complementary therapies including acupressure, back massage, reflexology, music, and heart rate variability biofeedback show potential benefits for caregiver sleep, but evidence remains limited. Current research on caregiver sleep interventions is characterized by significant methodological heterogeneity and shortcomings, with few studies examining sleep as a dyadic caregiver-patient relationship.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a systematic review and we rate its evidence strong. It covers 24 participants. It was published in Western journal of nursing research. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.