2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

The effects of warmed eye masks on smooth sleep onset

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23593181
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Fundamental nursing
Research Institution	Miyazaki Prefectual Nursing University
Principal Investigator	NAGASAKA Mou 宮崎県立看護大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (30332977)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	TANAKA Michiko 福岡県立大学, 看護学部, 教授 (30249700)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2013
Keywords	温罨法
Research Abstract	The effects of warmed eye masks on the onset of smooth sleep were investigated in a non-experimental situation. Heart rate variability and body movements of the participants were recorded while in a sleeping state. Upon awakening, all participants were asked to answer the 16-question OSA sleep inventory (MA version). The above two measurements and the OSA sleep inventory answers were evaluated after each of the two conditions; 10 min wearing "a warmed eye mask", and the control condition of "no eye mask". Participants underwent both conditions on separate days. Decreased heart rates were observed in both conditions. Sympathetic activities decreased significantly when participants used warmed eye masks. As for the almost sleep factors (OSA sleep inventory) and sleep onset time, no significant differences between warmed eye mask and no eye mask were observed.