ArticleCureus2022
Eye Masks and Earplugs to Improve Night Sleep Duration in Nulliparas: A Randomized Trial.
Article in Cureus, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Eye-mask and earplugs as sleep aid on glucose metabolism in sleep-deprived pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Trial
- Eye-masks and earplugs compared to headband in nulliparas on increasing spontaneous vaginal delivery: a randomized trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Trial
- Gestational sleep deprivation-induced changes in serum hormone concentrations and testicular oxidative stress affect spermatogenesis in postpubertal male offspring of mice.Asian journal of andrology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background Women experience significant sleep disruption throughout pregnancy. Lack of sleep during the last month of pregnancy is associated with longer labor, a higher rate of Cesarean births, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and preterm birth. Eye-mask and earplugs through sensory deprivation increase sleep duration and quality in patients in the intensive care environment but their impact at home or during pregnancy is not known. We sought to evaluate eye-mask and earplugs compared to sham/placebo headbands on night sleep duration in pregnancy. Materials and methods A randomized trial was performed in a university hospital in Malaysia. Nulliparas between 34 and 36 weeks of gestation with self-reported night sleep of fewer than six hours were randomized to the use of eye-mask and earplugs or "sham" headbands during night sleep (both introduced as sleep aids). Night sleep duration was measured through a wrist actigraphy monitor during non-intervention week one and intervention week two with the allocated sleep aid. Results Data from 56 participants were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Mean night sleep duration increased in intervention week two compared to non-intervention week one in both trial arms, which were 279 ± 19 vs. 304 ± 19 minutes (mean increase of 25 minutes) p = <0.001 and 286 ± 21 vs. 302 ± 22 minutes (mean increase of 16 minutes) p = <0.001 for eye-masks-earplugs and headband respectively. However, the mean increase in night sleep duration across trial arms (p=0.13) was not significant. A higher proportion of participants in the eye-masks and earplugs arm had their night sleep duration increased by at least 30 minutes, 13/29 (45%) vs. 5/26 (19%), relative risk (RR) 2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.6) p = 0.04, more likely to agree that they slept better 19/29 (66%) vs. 7/27 (26%), RR 2.2 (95% CI 1.1-4.6) p = 0.03, expressed higher satisfaction score with their sleep aid 7 (7.0-7.5) vs. 6 (5-7), p = 0.003 and had lower induction of labor rates 4/29 (14%) vs. 12/27 (44%), RR 0.3 (95%CI 0.1-0.8) p = 0.02. Conclusion Eye masks and earplugs use in nulliparas with short night sleep duration in late pregnancy, lengthen their night sleep duration over baseline. Sleep is reportedly better and maternal satisfaction is higher with eye masks and earplugs use.
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