Background: Elderly people often suffer from sleep disorders. Chamomile due to the many health benefits such as sedation may be effective in improving sleep quality in elderly people. This study aimed to determine the effect of Matricaria chamomilla extract on sleep quality in elderly people admitted to nursing homes of Isfahan in 2014.
Materials and methods: The present study is a quasi-experimental clinical trial. The study population was 77 cases of elderly hospitalized in nursing homes. Participants were selected through random continuous sampling and divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 400 mg oral capsules of chamomile twice daily, after lunch and after dinner for 4 weeks. The control group did not receive the intervention. Sleep quality in older adults before and after intervention were compared using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t- and independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance and liner regression analysis, using SPSS software version 17.
Results: Before intervention, the mean score of sleep quality both experimental and control groups showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). After intervention, the mean score of sleep quality was a significant difference between experimental and control groups (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Oral administration of chamomile extract has sedative properties in sleep quality of hospitalized elderly patients in nursing homes. Therefore, it can be used in similar cases and nursing care.
Keywords: Elderly; Matricaria chamomilla; sleep quality.