Research on the impact of recreational programmes in forest environments on sleep status and mental health

JRCT ID: jRCT1010230010

Registered date:07/06/2023

Basic Information

• Recruitment status: Recruiting
• Health condition(s) or Problem(s) studied: none
• Date of first enrollment: 07/06/2023
• Target sample size: 24
• Study type: Interventional
• Intervention(s): During and after participation in a two day and one night monitoring tour, which includes forest walking, lectures on sleep including sleep hygiene education and a recreational programme such as aromatherapy, participants measure their brain waves during sleep and answer a questionnaire. Heart rate measurements will also be taken during the monitoring tour.

Outcome(s)

• Primary Outcome: Amount of change in sleep EEG N2 percentage before and after the monitoring tour.

Secondary Outcome

(i) Changes in the percentage of sleep EEG N2 before, during and after the monitoring tour and three weeks after the tour.
(ii) Changes in the percentage of other sleep EEGs before, during and after the monitoring tour and three weeks after the tour.
(iii) Changes in sympathetic activity (LF/HF values) and parasympathetic activity (HF values), which are power ratios in the low-frequency and high-frequency regions
(iv) Changes in PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire), ESS (Eswarp Sleepiness Scale), K6 and STAI-S

Key inclusion & exclusion criteria

• Age minimum: >= 20age old
• Age maximum: Not applicable
• Gender: Both

Include criteria

(i) Persons aged 20 years or over at the time of obtaining consent.
(ii) Those who are physically fit enough to participate in a forest walk of about two hours.
(iii) Persons who subjectively feel that their daily sleep is poor.
(4) Persons who have received a full explanation of their participation in this study, and who have given their consent of their own free will based on a full understanding.

Exclude criteria

(1) Those attending hospital for sleep problems.
(2) Those who are taking sleeping pills.
(iii) Those attending hospital for respiratory failure
(4) Those attending for cardiac problems that cause fluctuations in heartbeat, etc.
(5) Those who are undergoing treatment for sleep apnoea syndrome or are strongly suspected of having sleep apnoea syndrome.
(vi) Persons with a history of skin rash caused by the tape.
(vii) Any other person who is deemed inappropriate as a research subject by the principal investigator.

Related Information

• Primary Sponsor: Ueda Hirofumi
• Source(s) of Monetary Support: Forestry Agency,Taka Town