ObjectiveTo study the relieving effects of hot spring bath therapy on sleep quality for people with sleep disorders based on data from health bracelets.

MethodsAfter health examinations, 311 people with sleep disorders who participated in the bath therapy in five typical hot spring areas in Guizhou Province were selected as the subjects. A four-week hot spring bath therapy was implemented, and the bathing method and the classification of hot springs were the same as the"Overview of study of the physiotherapy efficacy of typical hot springs in Guizhou Province". The daily sleep time at night(minutes), deep sleep ratio(%), light sleep ratio(%)and rapid eye movement ratio(%)for all subjects were collected using the Huawei Honor Band 3 health bracelets. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the differences in sleep quality indicators of each group at night each week. The effect of three different hot spring bath therapies on the improvement of night sleep quality was evaluated by factor analysis.

Results Hot spring bath therapy can increase night sleep time and deep sleep ratio, while reducing light sleep ratio. Compared with the first week, the night sleep time in the following three weeks significantly increased(P < 0.05), especially in the fourth week; the deep sleep ratio during the third and fourth weeks was significantly higher than during the first and second weeks(P < 0.05), but the light sleep ratio was lower than during the first and second weeks(P < 0.05). The rapid eye movement ratio did not change significantly throughout the 4 weeks(P > 0.05). Further classified according to the physiotherapy components of geological hot springs, the results showed that the water temperature type of hot springs can increase night sleep time and reduce light sleep ratio; the warm mineral type of hot springs has a certain regulatory effect on increasing night sleep time, deep sleep ratio and reducing light sleep ratio; the metasilicic acid type of hot springs can improve night sleep quality by increasing night sleep time and deep sleep ratio, while reducing light sleep ratio and rapid eye movement ratio. The factor analysis results suggest that the metasilicic acid type of hot springs is better than the water temperature type and warm mineral type of hot springs in improving night sleep quality.

ConclusionHot spring bath therapy can improve the night sleep quality for people with sleep disorders to varying degrees, and the metasilicic acid type of hot springs is relatively better than other types.