![]() ![]() Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Nihon University (approval number: 28–10). Written informed consent was obtained from all study participants after they had received a detailed explanation of the experiment. All participants were nonsmokers, and none habitually consumed alcohol before bedtime. Those who had engaged in shift work or who had a habitually short nocturnal sleep duration (<5 hours) were excluded. None of the participants had taken hypnotic medicines in the previous month, and none had previous or current physical or psychological disorders. We recruited, through a clinical research organization, 25 adult men with mild sleep difficulties (Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Index (PSQI) scores of 6–9) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores of 33–53). ![]() We then evaluated the participants' subsequent sleep quality using electroencephalograms (EEGs) and a visual analog scale (VAS). We monitored the electrocardiogram (ECG) results and changes in subjective status at bedtime while the participants inhaled warm steam via a mask fitted with an HSG sheet, as described in previous studies. In this study, we investigated whether warm steam inhalation before bedtime would improve the sleep quality in individuals with mild sleep difficulties and anxiety by promoting psychological relaxation. However, the sleep-related effects of warm steam inhalation have not been studied in detail. Possibly, warm steam inhalation may have similar beneficial effects on sleep quality through psychological relaxation. We previously reported that periocular skin warming induced psychological and physiological relaxation and improved the subjective and objective quality of sleep. This practice has been reported to induce psychological relaxation and decrease respiratory frequency in healthy men and in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We recently developed a novel breathing technique based on a disposable heat-and-steam generator (HSG) sheet to enable safe and easy inhalation of warm steam. Moreover, therapeutic breathing techniques (e.g., biofeedback and autogenic training) have been associated with relaxation. Therefore, safe and easy relaxation techniques are needed to treat the large population of individuals experiencing insomnia and other sleep difficulties.īreathing plays an important role in both physiological and psychological states and influences emotions such as anxiety, fear, sadness, and happiness. ![]() Therefore, nonpharmacological treatments are not widely used in adults with insomnia or mild sleep difficulties. However, these relaxation techniques require training and practice to be effective and may be difficult for those with a limited range of motion. Various relaxation techniques are used to reduce somatic tension and treat insomnia (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation and diaphragmatic breathing). Nonpharmacological treatments, such as relaxation techniques or cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), are recommended as complementary and alternative therapies. However, the associated side effects and dependencies present challenges to the long-term use of hypnotic drugs. Pharmacotherapy for insomnia has been widely employed. These results suggest that safe and easy inhalation of warm steam via a steam-generating mask improves psychological relaxation and sleep. Compared to the sham condition, steam inhalation before bedtime was associated with a higher EEG delta power density during the first third of sleep episodes and better subjective sleep quality in the morning. At bedtime, the subjects' subjective apprehension of the next day was reduced significantly under steam inhalation, compared with the sham condition. In the morning, each participant was instructed to report their sleep details subjectively using a visual analog scale. During sleep, electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded using a single-channel portable device. We evaluated the participants' electrocardiograms and subjective moods while wearing the mask. The functional mask provided approximately 600 mg of steam for 10 minutes and maintained an interior temperature of 38–40☌ for 15 minutes. The participants were instructed to wear a warm steam-generating mask or sham mask over the nose and mouth for 15 minutes immediately before habitual bedtime and were then allowed to sleep until their habitual waking time. All experiments were conducted in the participants' homes. The participants included 17 adult men with mild sleep difficulties and anxiety. This study aimed to examine the effects of warm steam inhalation before bedtime on subsequent sleep quality. However, the effects of warm steam inhalation on sleep have not been studied closely. In humans, the inhalation of warm steam has been reported to decrease the respiratory rate. ![]()
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