Non-pharmacological Methods of Alleviating Sleep Disturbances in Alzheimer’s Disease
Malhamy Arachchige, Ashka Sanduni Dhakshini; Rondael, Eleni Andi H. (2023)
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023120434226
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023120434226
Tiivistelmä
Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a neurodegenerative condition that mostly affects the elderly. Also, sleep disturbances are one of the most prevalent indicators of AD and may significantly impact both patients and their caregiver's quality of life.
The purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and identify potential gaps in non-pharmacological methods of alleviating sleep disturbances in AD for future investigation. And the aim is to identify and describe the existing literature on non-pharmacological methods used to alleviate sleep disturbances for individuals with AD and their caretakers.
Data for this study were gathered using scientific databases such as CINAHL, Pubmed and MEDLINE related to non-pharmacological methods of alleviating sleep disturbances in AD. Using established inclusion and exclusion criteria, the search was narrowed down, and 14 articles were selected.
The findings addressed non-pharmacological methods that have been explored to alleviate sleep disturbances in individuals with AD and the potential gaps for future investigations. We found that light treatment is effective in managing sleep disturbances. Additionally, other interventions like behavioral interventions, physical activity and aroma bath salt interventions have been designed to alleviate sleep disturbances experienced by patients with AD. Likewise, a diverse range of outcomes, with some studies indicating improvements in sleep quality or alertness throughout the day and others fail to demonstrate any noticeable gains. Furthermore, primary findings indicated that light treatment was effective in managing sleep disturbances.
We conclude that this diverse range of non-pharmacological interventions, including light therapy, aroma bath salts, circadian-effective lighting, and exercise have demonstrated positive effects on sleep parameters, including improved sleep quality, increased sleep duration, and enhanced sleep efficiency. However, quality of life and caregiver burden were not central to the studies, focusing primarily on sleep and related outcomes in individuals with dementia.
This may indicate a promising avenue for future studies that involves combining multiple nonpharmacological measure for sleep interventions.
The purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and identify potential gaps in non-pharmacological methods of alleviating sleep disturbances in AD for future investigation. And the aim is to identify and describe the existing literature on non-pharmacological methods used to alleviate sleep disturbances for individuals with AD and their caretakers.
Data for this study were gathered using scientific databases such as CINAHL, Pubmed and MEDLINE related to non-pharmacological methods of alleviating sleep disturbances in AD. Using established inclusion and exclusion criteria, the search was narrowed down, and 14 articles were selected.
The findings addressed non-pharmacological methods that have been explored to alleviate sleep disturbances in individuals with AD and the potential gaps for future investigations. We found that light treatment is effective in managing sleep disturbances. Additionally, other interventions like behavioral interventions, physical activity and aroma bath salt interventions have been designed to alleviate sleep disturbances experienced by patients with AD. Likewise, a diverse range of outcomes, with some studies indicating improvements in sleep quality or alertness throughout the day and others fail to demonstrate any noticeable gains. Furthermore, primary findings indicated that light treatment was effective in managing sleep disturbances.
We conclude that this diverse range of non-pharmacological interventions, including light therapy, aroma bath salts, circadian-effective lighting, and exercise have demonstrated positive effects on sleep parameters, including improved sleep quality, increased sleep duration, and enhanced sleep efficiency. However, quality of life and caregiver burden were not central to the studies, focusing primarily on sleep and related outcomes in individuals with dementia.
This may indicate a promising avenue for future studies that involves combining multiple nonpharmacological measure for sleep interventions.