Effects of short naps in adjusting the daily rhythms of elderly persons in care facilities

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26861962
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: St. Catherine University (2016-2017); Ehime Prefectural University of Health Science (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: konishi madoka 聖カタリナ大学, 人間健康福祉学部, 講師 (30616131)
• Research Collaborator: NISHIDA Kayo 聖カタリナ大学, 人間健康福祉学部・看護学科, 教授 (60325412)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / 介護保険施設 / 短時間仮眠 / 睡眠・覚醒リズム / 夜間睡眠

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study introduced short naps into the daily lives of elderly persons in long-term care insurance facilities. The purpose was to, by managing feelings of sleepiness, improve the nighttime sleep status of said persons, and to adjust and coordinate the sleep-wake rhythm of said persons.
In the study performance, found were large individual differences in changes in sleep-wake rhythms accompanying aging, and there were also differences in effects of short-term naps on nighttime sleep. Hence, the research was performed with two of the elderly persons in the long-term care facility as subjects. Results suggested that times of naps were not related to wakefulness state, and naps certainly did not interfere with wakefulness, neither did short naps lead to long nap times. While differences were confirmed between the subjects, for days with short nap times, there was significantly longer sleeping times at night.

Free Research Field

高齢者看護