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Insomnia is a sleep disorder wherein a person has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Music therapy promotes relaxation, which can lead to improved sleep. According to the researchers from Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, music therapy is safe for critically ill patients and should be routinely applied by ICU nurses who have received training on how to administer this specialized intervention. However, the researchers also suggest that randomized controlled trials are needed to test their efficacy.
A more dangerous form of sleeping disorder is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when an individual’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. This in turn interrupts the normal sleep cycle. During an episode of sleep apnea, the respiratory tract loses muscle tone and partially collapses. Individuals with sleep apnea rarely remember the episode, but do complain of excessive sleepiness during the day.
Interestingly enough, even sleep apnea can be treated successfully with music therapy. A randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted by researchers from Switzerland to assess the effects of didgeridoo playing in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea; the theory being that didgeridoo playing would reduce daytime sleepiness and other related problems by reducing the collapsibility of the upper airways in the subjects. In the study, 25 patients aged 18 and above were given didgeridoo lessons and daily practice at home with standardized instruments for 4 months, averaging 5.9 days a week for 25.3 minutes. Participants in the control group remained on the waiting list for lessons. The results published in the British Medical Journal indicated that the didgeridoo group had less daytime sleepiness and sleep disturbance. The researchers concluded that regular didgeridoo playing is a safe and effective treatment for patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
References 1. Puhan MA, Suarez A, Lo Cascio C, Zahn A, Heitz M, Braendli O.: Didgeridoo playing as alternative treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2006 Feb 4;332 (7536):266-70. Epub 2005 Dec 23.
2. Richards K, Nagel C, Markie M, Elwell J, Barone C.: Use of complementary and alternative therapies to promote sleep in critically ill patients. Crit Care Nurs Clin North Am. 2003 Sep; 15(3):329-40.
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
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