0386 Feasibility of a Hypnosis Intervention for Sleep Quality in Caregivers of Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease

Introduction

Poor sleep quality is a common health issue in caregivers of adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Nonpharmacological treatment options such as hypnosis have been proposed for improving sleep in this population since pharmacological measures can impair their ability to wake up readily to provide care. The present study aimed to determine the feasibility of a hypnosis intervention program for improving sleep quality in caregivers of individuals with ADRD.

Methods

A sample of 21 eligible adults were randomly assigned to either a self-administered hypnosis or a sham hypnosis group.

Results

The findings indicated feasibility of accrual, randomization, and intervention delivery. The mean satisfaction rating scores were 8.75 (SD = 1.28) and 7.50 (SD = 1.77) in the treatment and control groups, respectively, on a 0-to-10 numerical rating scale (0 = highly dissatisfied, 10 = highly satisfied). The mean ease of use rating was 8.50 (SD = .93) in the treatment condition and 8.75 (SD = 1.39) in the control condition. There was good adherence to actigraphy and self-report measures of sleep duration and sleep quality. Although the study was not powered for efficacy testing, trends indicated significant improvements in sleep quality (t(4) = 3.500, p = .025, d =1.57) and sleep duration (t(4) = -4.648, p = .010, d = 2.08) for the hypnosis intervention.

Conclusion

These findings are encouraging and indicate a need for a fully powered randomized clinical trial for efficacy testing.

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