Effect of aromatherapy and auricular plaster therapy on inpatients with post-stroke insomnia
Objective:To investigate the clinical effects of aromatherapy and auricular plaster therapy on inpatients with post-stroke insomnia(PSI).Methods:Using a convenience sampling method,120 inpatients with post-stroke insomnia from a Class A tertiary neurological hospital in Tianjin were selected as study subjects.The research subjects were randomly divided into control group,aromatherapy group,auricular plaster group,and combination group,with 30 cases in each group.The changes in sleep quality(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)and depressive symptoms(Hamilton Depression Scale,HAMD)were compared among the four groups at admission,after 7 days of intervention,and after 1 month of intervention.Additionally,differences in hospital stay duration and overall satisfaction with nursing services among the groups were compared.Results:After 7 days of intervention,the PSQI scores in the aromatherapy group and the combined group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),while there was no significant difference in PSQI scores between the auricular plaster group and the other three groups(P>0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in HAMD scores among the four groups(F=2.462,P>0.05).After 1 month of intervention,the PSQI scores in the aromatherapy group,auricular plaster group,and combined group were all lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).And the HAMD scores in the aromatherapy group and combined group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),but there was no significant difference between the auricular plaster group and the control group(P>0.05).In terms of hospital stay duration,the combined group had a shorter hospital stay than the other three groups(F=3.213,P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in inpatient satisfaction among the groups(H=6.629,P>0.05).Conclusion:Aromatherapy can improve sleep quality in PSI patients with short-term use(7 days)and can also alleviate depressive symptoms with continued use.Auricular plaster requires long-term treatment(over 1 month)to improve sleep in PSI patients.The combination of aromatherapy and auricular plaster therapy helps shorten hospital stay and supports maintaining a positive nurse-patient relationship.