Daylight, activity and a bedtime routine may improve daily rhythm in care homes

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   100 long-stay residents of four Los Angeles nursing homes, out of 118 who were assigned to a group. All were sleepy in the day and had broken sleep at night. Their average age was about 87, and about three in four were women.

2. 02

   What they did

   The programme group spent at least 30 minutes outdoors in daylight each day for five days. They also got short activity sessions three times a day and were encouraged to stay out of bed. Their evenings had a bedtime routine with less noise and light, and the other group had usual care.

3. 03

   What happened

   Compared with usual care, the programme group's active phase got longer and its morning rise came earlier. The groups' changes differed on these two measures, but neither group changed clearly on its own. The programme made no difference to the cycle's height, low point, peak time or steepness.

What the study found

1. Helped

   Residents who got the programme had longer active phases and an earlier morning rise than usual care.

   • Action: Get daylight in the morningtested
   • Action: Do a short wind-down routinetested
   • Rule: Every daytested
   • Rule: Before going to bedtested

   Randomised trial of 100 nursing home residents with disrupted sleep · vs residents who got usual care · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

2. No difference

   The programme made no difference to the cycle's height, low point, peak time or steepness.

   • Action: Get daylight in the morningused
   • Action: Do a short wind-down routineused
   • Rule: Every dayused
   • Rule: Before going to bedused

   Randomised trial of 100 nursing home residents with disrupted sleep · vs residents who got usual care · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

Source