Acu-TENS and Acupressure on the Sleep Quality

A TENS stimulator will be used (NeuroTrac TENS; Verity Medical Ltd., Wexford, Ireland). Electrodes will be placed over selected acupoints (i.e., bilateral SP6, PC6 and HT7) and connected to the TENS stimulator. These acupoints are selected according to the traditional Chinese medicine and results of previous studies. The stimulation will be lasted 30-min for each session. The frequency of the stimulation parameter's waveform will be set to 100 Hz and the square pulses will be set to 0.2-ms. The intensity of the stimulation will be below motor threshold and lower than the intolerable level, and hence, participants will feel a pleasant and mild aching sensation.

Participants in the acupressure group will receive acupressure coupled with SHP. The acupressure protocol was developed based on a protocol recommended by a review and will comprise the following: (1) applying consistent finger-tip pressure of 3-5 kg, with rotational movements; (2) counterclockwise and then clockwise circular motions for 2.5-min each; (3) confirming the precision of the acupressure based on participants feeling pain, numbness, distension, or warmth at the point of application; and (4) an acupoint sequence from the leg to the head, first on the left side of the body and then on the right side of the body; and (5) a 5-min treatment on each acupoint (i.e., bilateral SP6, PC6, and HT7) in each 30-min session. The SHP is the same with Acu-TENS+SHP group.

Participants in the placebo stimulation + SHP group will receive 30-minute placebo stimulation from identical-looking TENS devices with the electrical circuit disconnected inside.

SHP is a set of instructions designed to help with sleep and promote healthy sleeping habits. The sleep guide contains information on how much sleep is needed by every individual daily, factors that could affect sleep, and risk factors for sleep disorders. It also contains information on the types of sleep disorders, delayed sleep syndrome, insomnia-producing behavior that could affect sleep quality, and suggestions for inducing sleep. The participants will be instructed to read the guide after the baseline assessment (T0). Those instructions will be reinforced by the research practitioner after each treatment session, in order to maintain the healthy sleeping habits.