The effects of slow-stroke back massage on minutes of nighttime sleep in persons with dementia and sleep disturbances in the nursing home: a pilot study.

Purpose: This pilot study tested the effects of a 3-minute slow-stroke back massage (SSBM) on total minutes of nighttime sleep on persons with dementia with sleep disturbances aged 65 years or older in the nursing home.

Design: Pilot randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Participants were randomized to an intervention group (n = 20) who received the 3-minute SSBM or a usual care control condition group (n = 20) who received usual bedtime care.

Sleep disturbances and nocturnal agitation behaviors in older adults with dementia.

Study Objectives: To examine nighttime sleep patterns of persons with dementia showing nocturnal agitation behaviors and to determine whether restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are associated with nocturnal agitation behaviors.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: General community.

Effect of individualized social activity on sleep in nursing home residents with dementia.

Objectives: To test the efficacy of an individualized social activity intervention (ISAI) on decreasing daytime sleep, improving nighttime sleep, and lowering the day/night sleep ratio and to determine its cost.

Design: Pretest/posttest randomized with an experimental and control group.

Setting: Seven nursing homes.

Demographic and sleep characteristics in cognitively impaired nursing home residents with and without severe sleep/wake pattern inefficiency.

This study determined the differences in demographic and sleep characteristics in cognitively impaired nursing home residents with and without severe sleep/wake pattern inefficiency. Identification of characteristics associated with severe sleep/wake pattern inefficiency will allow health care providers to make the best cost effective use of finite resources because they can target interventions towards those most likely to need them. This article reports the baseline characteristics of the total sample, compares the demographic and sleep characteristics of the subgroups with and without severe sleep/wake pattern inefficiency, and reviews related literature.