0345 Comforter Designed for Warm Sleepers Improves Objectively-Measured Sleep for Adults in Midlife and Older. (25th May 2022) - Danoff-Burg, Sharon
Abstract: Introduction: Bedding can aid in maintaining a comfortable thermal state in the sleep environment. Research is needed to bring scientific rigor to document these benefits and their potential for promoting better sleep. This study examined effects of a comforter designed for warm sleepers used at home. Methods: Healthy adults (96% female, ages 23-74) who reported sleeping hot, experiencing night sweats, or having hot flashes during the night participated in a 6-week field study, using a pre-post intervention design. Intervention consisted of using a comforter designed for warm sleepers, made of 300 thread count viscose from bamboo fiber with Tencel/polyester fill. During the 3-week baseline period, participants used their regular bedding. During the 3-week intervention period, they used the comforter without a top sheet to have direct contact with the comforter. Sleep was measured objectively using SleepScore Max every night and by daily and pre-post self-report. Multilevel regression and paired t-tests were used to test for statistical significance. Results: There were over 1, 000 nights of tracked sleep across all participants. In the full sample (n=31), self-reported sleep (e.g., perceived sleep quality, feeling well-rested) but not objectively-measured sleep showed improvements. Therefore, and given that this type of product may provide the most benefit for sleepers in midlife or older, additional analyses were conducted for the subgroup of participants who were 45 years old and above (n=15). Results indicated increased time in bed (+11 minutes, p=.017), total sleep time (+12 minutes, p=.010), and deep sleep (+6 minutes, p=.005) during the intervention compared to baseline. Improvements also were observed in SleepScore, a measure of overall sleep quality (p=.002), and BodyScore, a measure of deep sleep (p=.002). Conclusion: Self-reported but not objectively-measured sleep improved among healthy adults using a comforter designed for warm sleepers. However, looking specifically at those aged 45 and older, objectively-measured time in bed, total sleep time, deep sleep, and overall sleep quality all increased significantly when using the comforter compared to baseline. Support (If Any): Blue Ridge Home Fashions