The present study investigated the effects of progressive relaxation training using an abridged form of Jacobson's (1938) relaxation exercises on the mean number of nocturnal sleep disturbances in a group of psychiatric inpatients. Nocturnal time-sampling observations were made during a 14 day base line to select Ss who averaged 1.5 sleep disturbances per night. Six women, ranging in age from 23 to 56 years, were classified as problem sleepers and were moved to a common bedroom, where a second 16 day base line was taken to control for changes in the nocturnal environment. After a brief introduction and demonstration, a tape recording of the relaxation exercises was played each night of the 20 day experimental period. Results indicate a statistically significant decrease (p < .05) in the mean number of sleep disturbances as compared to base line levels. Caution was suggested in interpreting the results due to the possibility of interaction between the performance of the relaxation exercises, alteration of the nocturnal environment, and Ss' hypnotic drug medication.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UTAHS/oai:digitalcommons.usu.edu:etd-6804 |
| Date | 01 May 1973 |
| Creators | Weber, Richard Robert |
| Publisher | DigitalCommons@USU |
| Source Sets | Utah State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | All Graduate Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright for this work is held by the author. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information contact digitalcommons@usu.edu. |
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