Effect of Sleep Health Education on the Sleep Quality of Elderly Individuals with Diabetes

Introduction: Sleep disorders significantly impact the daily functioning and overall well-being of elderly individuals. Given that non-pharmacological treatments generally yield more sustainable results than medications, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of sleep health education in improving the sleep quality of elderly individuals with diabetes attending a diabetes clinic in Gorgan, Iran. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in 2022. A total of 64 eligible elderly patients with diabetes who visited the Gorgan diabetes clinic were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group received a one-week sleep health education program. Data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, administered to both groups at baseline and again one and two months after the intervention. Chi-square and Friedman tests were used to analyze the data using SPSS 21, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: At baseline, the total sleep quality score was 9.66 in the control group and 8.78 in the intervention group. A statistically significant difference in the total sleep quality score was observed only in the intervention group across the three assessment points (baseline, one month, and two months post-intervention) (p < 0.001). In the intervention group, all components of sleep quality, except for sleep adequacy and use of sleep medications, showed a statistically significant difference across the three stages (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Considering the demonstrated effectiveness of sleep health education on the sleep quality of elderly individuals with diabetes, it is recommended that healthcare personnel prioritize and integrate sleep health education for this population.