The relationship of subjective sleep quality and cardiac autonomic nervous system in postmenopausal women with insomnia under auricular acupressure

• DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31820159c1
• Publication Date: 2011-02-23T08:07:32Z
• Authors: Yen-Ying Kung; Cheryl C.H. Yang; Jen-Hwey Chiu; Terry B.J. Kuo
• Keywords: Sleep

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between changes in self-reported sleep symptoms and cardiac sympathovagal activity among women with postmenopausal insomnia (PI) who received auricular acupressure (AA) therapy.A pretest/posttest design was conducted at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, from August 2008 July 2009. Forty-five (mean ± SD age, 56.2 5.4 years) PI (4.9 3.5 years insomnia) an AA therapy course on five points every night before going for 4 weeks. Heart rate variability (HRV), Chinese version Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Menopause Rating Scale were measured after treatment.The total duration efficiency increased, latency shortened significantly (P < 0.01) therapy. somatovegetative subscale scores reduced 0.05) intervention. A greater percentage change Index moderately correlated both a lower high-frequency power HRV (r = -0.660, P 0.001) normalized low-frequency (nLF) 0.599, 0.001). An elevation reduction nLF observed responder group, whereas raise noted nonresponder group.This suggests that intervention leads more parasympathetic less sympathetic activity, which contributes improvement PI.