Abstract
This study sought to determine the effect on sleep rhythm in persons with severe physical and intellectual disabilities who have sleep disorders by continuous application of hot compresses to both forearms. Intervention-based research was carried out from September to December 2015 with one subject with a semi-profound disability who has a sleep disorder causing irregular sleeping and waking patterns. Wet heat packs were applied to both forearms for 20 minutes every day for four weeks, and the time the subject spent asleep and awake, the nature of their sleep, their vital signs and their skin condition were compared before and after the intervention. The results indicated a significant decrease in drowsiness during the day and a significant increase in time spent awake. There were no abnormal findings in the subject’s vital signs or skin condition. These results indicate that the stimulation created by the wet heat of these heat compresses stimulates the core temperature of persons with semi-profound disabilities, positively affecting their sleep rhythms, and that it is safe to continuously apply wet heat-based stimulation by placing hot compresses on both forearms.
