Therapeutic Touch, Music Before Bed Aid Sleep in Menopausal Women

TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Therapeutic touch (TT) and music both help to increase sleep quality and quality of life and reduce menopausal symptoms, according to a study published online Oct. 24 in Menopause.

Fatma Keskin Töre, Ph.D., from Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, and Yurdagül Yağmur, Ph.D., from Inonu University in Malatya, both in Turkey, examined the effects of TT and music on sleep quality, menopausal symptoms, and quality of life in menopausal women. The analysis included 108 menopausal women assigned to a TT group (once weekly for four weeks), a music group (30 minutes before bedtime every day for four weeks), and a control group.

The researchers found that compared with the control group, there were statistically significant differences in the posttest scores of the participants in both the TT and music groups in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index dimensions of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep disturbances. When adjusting for pretest scores, there were statistically significant differences seen in the posttest scores of the participants in both the TT and music groups in the Menopause Rating Scale and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Scale compared with the control group.

“This small study highlights some potential benefit of music and therapeutic touch for menopause symptoms,” Stephanie Faubion, M.D., medical director of the North American Menopause Society, said in a statement. “Although these therapies may be cost-effective and safe, additional study in larger numbers of women is needed to confirm their efficacy for menopause symptom management.”

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