Shimian granules improve sleep, mood and performance of shift nurses in association changes in melatonin and cytokine biomarkers: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.

Shimian granules improve sleep, mood and performance of shift nurses in association changes in melatonin and cytokine biomarkers: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Chronobiol Int. 2020 Feb 21;:1-14 Authors: Zhang L, Zhang R, Shen Y, Qiao S, Hui Z, Chen J Abstract Shift nurses are prone to sleep problems and impaired nighttime alertness, with risk for reduced health status plus decreased performance, handling errors, and workplace accidents. Attention to and improvements in the situation of shift nurses are urgent. Shimian granules (SMG), an improved formula of Jieyuanshen with liver qingre and yangxin tranquilizing effects, for more than a decade has been used in China as a herbal treatment of sleep disorders in clinical practice. However, clinical data on SMG have rarely been reported. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical trial (ChiCTR-IOR-17013031) aimed to explore whether Shimian granules (SMG) improves sleep and affective state in shift nurses and in association with changes in concentrations of salivary cytokines. Fifty-three rotating-shift female nurses with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score ≥8 were orally treated with 10.0 g SMG or placebo 2 times daily (30 min after breakfast and 30 min before bed) for 1 month. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), a psychomotor vigilance task, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A/HADS-D), and levels of four sali...
Source: Chronobiology International - Category: Biology Authors: Tags: Chronobiol Int Source Type: research