@article{ref1,
title="The effect of breathing relaxation to improve poor sleep quality in adults using a huggable human-shaped device: a randomized controlled trial",
journal="Sleep and Breathing",
year="2024",
author="Doi, Satomi Kato and Isumi, Aya and Yamaoka, Yui and Shakagori, Shiori and Yamazaki, Juri and Ito, Kanako and Shiomi, Masahiro and Sumioka, Hidenobu and Fujiwara, Takeo",
volume="28",
number="1",
pages="429-439",
abstract="PURPOSE: To examine whether or not breathing relaxation, using a huggable human-shaped device, improves poor sleep quality in adults.   METHODS: We conducted a randomized controlled trial using outpatients with sleep problems from two clinics in Japan. The intervention group conducted three minutes of breathing relaxation using a huggable human-shaped device before going to bed every night for four weeks. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), at pre-intervention, mid-intervention (2 weeks after pre-intervention), and post-intervention (4 weeks after pre-intervention). We employed intention-to-treat analysis.   RESULTS: A total of 68 participants (mean [SD] age, 41.7 [11.4] years; 64 female [95%]) were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 29, mean [SD] age, 43.6 [9.5] years; 28 female [97%]) and the control group (n = 36, mean [SD] age, 40.3 [12.7] years; 36 female [95%]). The intervention group showed a significant decrease in the PSQI score compared to the control group (F = 3.81, p = 0.025, effect size (η2) = 0.057). Furthermore, we found the intervention to be more effective in participants without suicide risk and with a lower number of adverse childhood experiences (effect size (η2) = 0.080 and 0.160, respectively).   CONCLUSIONS: A novel psychological intervention, breathing relaxation using a huggable human-shaped device, may be effective to improve sleep quality among people with sleep problems, especially those without severe psychological symptoms.   TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000045262. (Registration Date: September 28th, 2021).<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1520-9512",
doi="10.1007/s11325-023-02858-5",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11325-023-02858-5"
}