Electrical Grounding and Sleep Quality in Hospitalised Patients With Cancer

Brief Summary

Sleep disturbance is one of the most common and most persistent symptoms in patients admitted for cancer care, and the options available during a short hospital stay are limited. The human body is electrically conductive, so an alternating potential - known as body voltage - is induced on the skin by mains wiring and appliances near the bed. Body voltage can be lowered by connecting the body to earth, and higher body voltage has been reported to be associated with lower vagal (parasympathetic) tone. This randomised, sham-controlled trial tested whether nightly electrical grounding improves sleep quality in hospitalised patients with cancer who also have clinically significant insomnia. Participants wore a hydrogel patch on the forehead connected by a cord either to a true earth connection or to an externally identical cord that did not complete a conductive circuit. Grounding was applied on two consecutive nights in the oncology ward and then nightly at home until the outpatient follow-up visit. Body voltage was measured before and during grounding in both settings, so that the trial could verify objectively whether the intervention achieved its intended physical effect. Sleep quality, mood, somatic symptoms and daytime sleepiness were assessed by validated self-report questionnaires.