title: Effect of auricular acupressure for postpartum insomnia: an uncontrolled clinical trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the effects of auricular acupressure therapy on women with postpartum insomnia.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Postpartum women generally have poor sleep quality because of frequent night-time breastfeeding during the first month after giving birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-group pretest/post-test quasi-experiment was conducted.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sampling method was used to recruit participants at a postpartum centre (doing-the-month centre) in Northern Taiwan, from January 2014-July 2014. Thirty women with postpartum insomnia received auricular acupressure therapy on one auricular point (Shenmen point pressing) four times a day for 14 days. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep quality before and after the 14-day treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the 14-day auricular acupressure treatment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total scores of the women decreased from 8·7 (pretest) to 5·57 (post-test, 36% reduction). Scores on the subscales of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, including sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration and sleep disturbance, also statistically improved (p < 0·05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hormone changes and frequent breastfeeding were identified as characteristics that may exacerbate poor sleep quality of postpartum women, for whom the auricular acupressure intervention may effectively improve sleep quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Auricular acupressure can be an alternative complementary therapy to aid postpartum women with insomnia in improving sleep quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Li
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heping Fuyou Branch, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shih-Chi
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Master Program in Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Chu
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D019050:Acupressure / Q000379:methods; D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000328:Adult; D004423:Ear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D013624:Taiwan; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: auricular point acupressure; postpartum; sleep quality