The effect of massage and foot reflexology on sleep in newborns

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of massage and reflexology on sleep in premature infants. Material and Method: The research was conducted in a randomized controlled experimental design. The population of the study consists of premature infants at 30-37 weeks of gestation who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in the Central Anatolia region. The sample of the study consisted of 108 premature infants: Massage group (n = 36), Foot reflexology group (n = 36), and Control group (n = 36). Data were collected using the neonatal follow-up form and actigraphy. The massage and reflexology groups received a total of 4 applications on two consecutive days, twice a day (morning: 07:00-09:00 and evening: 19:00-21:00) in a 15-minute application period. The control group received no intervention other than routine care. In each group, pre-test and post-test applications were performed and the 24-hour sleep of the newborns was evaluated by actigraphy. Results: The sleep duration of the premature infants in the massage group increased compared to the pretreatment group (251 min) and the control group (272 min), while the sleep duration of the foot reflexology group increased compared to the pretreatment group (268 min) and control group (266 min) (p<0.001). Sleep efficiency increased more than the control group after the intervention and increased to 73% in the massage group and 71.8% in the foot reflexology group (p<0.001). In addition, there was a statistically significant decrease in the number of awakenings and wakefulness time in the massage and foot reflexology group after the application compared to the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: As a result of the study, massage and foot reflexology were found to increase sleep duration and sleep efficiency, decrease wake time and number of awakenings, and were found to be effective non-pharmacological methods of sleep management in premature infants. Keywords: Newborn, massage, foot reflexology, sleep