Study on the effect of aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality

Given the importance of anxiety management and improving sleep quality in burn patients, this study led by Forough Rafii et al. aims to determine the effect of aromatherapy massage (using lavender and chamomile essential oils) on anxiety and sleep quality in burn patients .

In a quasi-experimental study, 105 burn patients were randomly sampled and divided into three groups (control group, placebo massage and combined aromatherapy massage). The intervention was performed 20 minutes before bedtime on three evenings within one week. The control group only received daily routine care. The study data were collected using the Persian version of the Spielberg Anxiety Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were performed using SPSS version 20 to analyze the data.

The results showed a significant difference between the three groups in terms of anxiety score and sleep quality after the intervention.

Since aromatherapy massage as a non-pharmacological and simple method can improve anxiety and sleep quality of burn patients , it is recommended that nurses and burn care team use this method to reduce anxiety of burn victims and promote their sleep quality. The treatment of massage alone also reduces anxiety in burn survivors.