Impact of lavender herbal tea on sleep quality in elderly patients with poor sleep quality: A randomized study

Abstract

Objective: Aromatherapy has been used as a complementary alternative therapy in elderly adults with poor sleep quality. Lavender has sedative, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties. This study aimed to evaluate effect of lavender herbal tea in different doses on sleep quality of elderly people. Material-Method: This study has been designed as a prospective, randomized study with a two-arm parallel design. There were 94 patients aged between 65 and 75 years with a Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ) score of <75. Patients were sequentially randomized into two groups as 1 g and 2 g lavender tea bags used for three months. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. The RCSQ was administered initially and during the 1st-month and 3rd-month follow-up visits. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in demographic and clinical characteristics (p>0.05) or in terms of baseline RCSQ scores (p=0.685). However, 1st-month and 3rd-month RCSQ scores in patients who used 2 g lavender tea bags were significantly higher than those who used 1 g herbal tea bags (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). Additionally, the 1st-month and 3rd-month RCSQ scores were significantly higher than baseline RCSQ scores in both groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that lavender herbal tea improved sleep quality in elderly patients with sleep problems. Consumption of higher doses of lavender tea (2 g vs. 1 g) resulted in significantly higher RCSQ scores. Therefore, use of lavender may be recommended in individuals with sleep problems in form of herbal tea preparations.