Taiwan scientists seem to have found an alternative to drugs for the elderly who have trouble sleeping.
The US National Sleep Foundation experts believe that older people need to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day to fully restore the body. But, as a rule, they sleep a little less and usually have a shorter deep sleep phase. This creates serious risks for their health: for example, in a recent study, scientists found a strong link between sleep disorders and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. Older people who take 30 minutes or more to fall asleep were 45% more likely to develop dementia within five years.
Scientists from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan decided to evaluate the effectiveness of various ways to overcome problems with sleep in older people, focusing mainly on the benefits of soothing music. They analyzed five studies involving a total of 288 elderly patients with sleep disorders.
These studies compared the effectiveness of listening to music before bed and drug treatments, as well as the effects of rhythmic melodies and calming melodies. Approximately half of the volunteers listened to different types of music before going to bed, others received therapy for insomnia or took no medication at all.
The results showed that listening to pleasant music at a slow tempo for 30 minutes significantly improved falling asleep and the quality of sleep of patients compared to rhythmic melodies. Music therapy was also found to be more effective than sleeping pills. Scientists have suggested that it may reduce stress and anxiety by slowing breathing and heart rate.
The reviewers also found that the maximum effect was achieved after four weeks of lullaby treatment for insomnia. “Music therapy is safe, easy to use, and can effectively improve sleep quality in the elderly,” the scientists concluded.< /p>