遠紅外線睡眠輔具對改善中老年人睡眠及壓力功效之評估

Evaluation and Analysis of Far Infrared Sleep Assistive Device on Improving Sleep and Stress

睡眠不良是目前台灣中老年人常遇到的困擾，根據台灣睡眠醫學會統計，全台慢性失眠症盛行率為10.7%、且至少600萬人有睡眠障礙，而睡眠障礙除了影響到睡眠品質，對生活及健康也會造成不同層面的影響。且近年來人們生活壓力上升而導致生理與心理的機能出現障礙，健康變化為中老年人最常見的精神壓力源，中老年人更容易面臨壓力，使其睡眠品質失常，最後影響身心健康。因此，我們使用釋放遠紅外線的一種助眠床墊來幫助中老年人獲得更好的睡眠品質並改善其壓力。遠紅外線是波長6至14μm（微米）光線，為太陽光線中的不可見光，可利用共振方式將能量導入至體內使得血液循環加速，血管擴張，進而改善微血管循環、紓壓的效果。本研究利用可釋放遠紅外線的床墊，評估是否有助眠的效果。15位受測者參與研究，年齡55.73±7.26歲，利用遠紅外線床墊在受測者自然睡眠下使用28天，亦即每晚採用此助眠床墊至少5小時，實驗介入前、後分別接受匹茲堡睡眠品質量表（PSQI）及腦波分析儀（Electroencephalogram）進行ANOVA分析及進行配對t檢定，Scheffed’s test做事後檢定p<0.05，具統計意義。初步結果顯示：在匹茲堡睡眠品質量表及腦波儀器分析的結果看到使用釋放遠紅外線床墊使用28天後有改變的趨勢。因此釋放遠紅外線的床墊對中老年人睡眠品質是有改變的效果。

Sleep disorder is a common problem encountered by middle-aged and elderly people in Taiwan. According to statistics from the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine, the prevalence of chronic insomnia in Taiwan is 10.7%, and at least 6 million people have sleep disorders. In addition to affecting sleep quality, it also affects life and health at different levels. In recent years, people’s life pressure has increased, resulting in physical and psychological dysfunction. Health changes are the most common source of mental stress in middle-aged and elderly people. Therefore, we use a sleep aid mattress that emits far infrared rays to help middle-aged and elderly people get better sleep quality and improve stress. Far-infrared rays are light with a wavelength of 6 to 14μm (microns), which is invisible light in sunlight. It can use resonance to introduce energy into the body to accelerate blood circulation, dilate blood vessels, and improve microvascular circulation. Our study used a mattress that emits far-infrared rays to evaluate whether it has a sleep aid effect. 15 middle-aged and elderly people aged 55.73±7.26 yrs were recruited in this study. They used the far-infrared mattress for 28 days under the natural sleep at least 5 hours every night. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory (PSQI) and Electroencephalogram (EEG) were used. The ANOVA analysis and paired t test were used in before and after tests, respectively. The analysis of PSQI and EEG showed that there was a trend of changing after 28 days’treatment of the far-infrared-emitting mattress. Based on this finding, there may be improving effect on sleep quality and reducing stress in middle-aged and elderly people.