Effect of Music Therapy on Sleep Quality

Context • One of the important functions of nurses is to

prepare a relaxing environment for patients, for whom they

look after and fulfill sleep needs. Today, music therapy, one

of nonpharmacological treatment approaches, can be used

for enhancing the sleep quality of individuals. The increase

of individuals’ sleep quality by using music therapy will

enable nurses to intervene in problems associated with sleep

disorders and prevent insomnia and other relevant problems.

Objectives • This study was conducted to determine the

effect of music therapy on sleep quality of the students.

Design • The research was an experimental pretestposttest control group design.

Setting • The research was conducted among the students

studying in the nursing department at a university in the

east of Turkey in the spring term of the academic year of

2015–2016.

Participant • Students who (1) got a total score of 5 and

higher according to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

(PSQI), (2) had no neurological/psychiatric disorder,

(3) had no hearing problem, (4) received no medical

treatment regarding sleep, and (5) volunteered to

participate in the study were included in the study. The

students who were included in the study were divided

into experimental and control groups.

Invention • Students in the experimental group were

instructed to keep the volume of the personal MP3 player

to be used for listening to the music therapy below 70%

and to use it for 1 h/d at most. No intervention was

applied to students in the control group. They were asked

to sustain their normal sleeping habits.

Outcome Measure • To collect the data, a questionnaire

prepared by the researchers for determining

sociodemographic characteristics of the students and

PSQI were used.

Results • As a result of the study, it was found that the

posttest PSQI mean scores of students in the experimental

group, listening to music therapy, were lower than the

mean scores of the students in the control group, and the

difference between the groups was statistically significant.

Conclusions • As a result of this study, it was determined

that music therapy increased the sleep quality of students.

Being one of the nonpharmacological treatment

approaches intended for solving sleep problems, music

therapy is a pain-free, safe, and affordable treatment

method without any side effect that could be used in every

area of health. (Altern Ther Health Med. 2020;26(4):22-

26).