The impact of aromatherapy with Damask rose on the sleep quality of mothers with premature newborns: a quasi-experimental study

This quasi-experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of Damask rose (DR) aromatherapy on the sleep quality of mothers with preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Seventy-five eligible mothers were non-randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The control group received routine care, while the intervention group received 10% DR aromatherapy 20 min before bedtime for 10 nights. Data collection included a demographic questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Statistical analysis was conducted using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney, and Wilcoxon tests with a significance level of p < 0.05 (SPSS 16). Results revealed a significant improvement in sleep quality and its subscales in the intervention group (p < 0.05). Although both groups showed improved total sleep scores (p < 0.05), the intervention group exhibited a substantially greater improvement (8.31 ± 1.82 to 5.62 ± 1.91) compared to the control group (9.95 ± 2.89 to 9.47 ± 3.30), as indicated by the estimated effect size. This study demonstrates that DR aromatherapy can enhance the sleep quality of mothers with preterm infants in NICUs, suggesting its potential as a supportive intervention in neonatal care settings.