Effects of vestibular stimulation on sleep states in premature infants

Abstract

Seventeen appropriate-for-gestational-age premature infants (birthweights 1000-1530 gm) were randomly assigned to control (7) and vestibular stimulation (10) groups. Those in the treatment group were exposed daily to three 15-minute sessions of sinusoidal vestibular stimulation over a 2-week period. At the end of that period, postconceptional age ranged from 34 to 37 weeks. As a measure of neurologic maturation, behavioral and physiologic parameters characterizing sleep states were recorded at the onset and termination of the 2-week period. The ratio of active-to-quiet sleep did not change significantly in control patients. Those exposed to vestibular stimulation showed a significant decrease in proportion of active and a concomitant increase in the proportion of quiet sleep. These results may indicate that vestibular stimulation, even at this early postconceptional age, results in a more mature sleep pattern.