Comparing the Effects of Lavender Aromatherapy With Virtual Reality on the Quality of Sleep in Type 2 Diabetic...

Sleep disturbances frequently affect patients with type 2 diabetes, impairing glycemic control and overall health. Safe, non-pharmacological approaches such as aromatherapy and virtual reality (VR) are increasingly utilized to enhance sleep. This study compared the effectiveness of lavender aromatherapy and VR interventions in improving sleep quality among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 90 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of three groups: lavender aromatherapy, virtual reality (VR) and control (routine care). Interventions were performed nightly for three consecutive nights. Sleep quality was assessed before and after the intervention using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests based on the distribution of the data.

Median (IQR) PSQI scores decreased from 7.5 (6-9) to 4.0 (3-5) in the aromatherapy group and from 8.0 (6-9) to 4.0 (3-6) in the VR group (both p < 0.001, r = 0.81-0.83), whereas no significant change occurred in the control group (p = 0.225). ANCOVA adjusting for baseline PSQI confirmed a significant group effect, F (2, 86) = 171.06, p < 0.001, η² = 0.799. Overall, 65%-70% of participants in both interventions achieved good sleep quality (PSQI < 5) compared with 5% in controls.

Lavender aromatherapy and virtual reality improved sleep quality in patients with type 2 diabetes, but results should be interpreted cautiously due to the short, single-center study design.