An interventional study of Acupressure and Sham acupressure group in Sleep and Fatigue, sponsored by Mersin University. Completed at 2 sites in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-02.
Sponsored by Mersin University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
This research aims to determine the effect of acupressure applied to nurses actively working in internal clinics on sleep quality and fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic process. This research hypothesizes that acupressure improves sleep quality and reduces fatigue.
In this study, 64 nurses working in internal clinics were randomly assigned to acupressure and placebo (sham) acupressure groups. In the acupressure group (n=34), the heart meridian 7th point (HT7), large intestine meridian 4th point (LI4), stomach meridian 36th point (ST36) and spleen meridian 6th point (SP6) will be applied to a total of four points. Depending on the preparation and compression time on each point, the session duration of each nurse will be 20 minutes on average. In the sham group (n=34), pressure will be made approximately 1-1.5 cm away from the HT7, LI4, ST36, SP6 points. In the Sham group, the acupressure application time will take 20 minutes on average. Reminder text messages (SMS) will be sent before the application on the days when the nurses will practice, so that they continue to do the application regularly. At the end of the application, after the data collection process is completed, the sham group will be taught the correct acupressure points. Nurses will apply acupressure three times a week for a total of 12 sessions for four weeks. The primary outcome of the research is the effect of acupressure on the sleep quality of nurses. The secondary outcome of the study is to determine the effect of acupressure on fatigue. The outcomes will be collected before and four weeks after the acupressure and sham acupressure administration.
1,860 studies on the registry are indexed under Fatigue; 376 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 64 is above the median of 54 across 1,440 interventional studies indexed under Fatigue.
Browse Fatigue studies →Mersin University is the lead sponsor of 173 studies on the registry; 48 are open to participants now.
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Nurses who care for COVID 19 patients during the pandemic process
Nurses working in internal clinics during the data collection process
Those who have recovered from COVID 19
Those who agreed to participate in the study
No deformity or lesions in the areas where acupressure will be applied
No acupressure experience
No sleep disorder diagnosis and no medical treatment
Not diagnosed with anxiety disorder and not receiving medical treatment
Not diagnosed with depression and not receiving medical treatment
Coffee, cigarette and alcohol free
No mental disorder
Night shift workers
Those who can understand and speak Turkish
Those who signed the Informed Consent Form
Exclusion Criteria:
Nurses who did not work in internal clinics during the data collection process
Nurses who do not care for COVID 19 patients during the pandemic process
Those with active COVID 19
Those who do not agree to participate in the study
Those who have any deformity or lesion in the areas where acupressure will be applied
Experiences of acupressure
Heart and kidney failure, severe anemia, immunodeficiency problem
Pregnant
Diagnosed with sleep disorder and receiving treatment
Anxiety disorder and treatment
Depression diagnosed and treated
Coffee, cigarette and alcohol addiction
Having mental illness
Fixed day shift workers
Those who can not understand and speak Turkish
Those who did not sign the Informed Consent Form
The experimental group will apply acupressure to themselves three times a week for a total of 12 sessions for four weeks.
Other: Acupressure
The sham group will apply acupressure to themselves three times a week for a total of 12 sessions for four weeks.
Other: Sham acupressure group
In the acupressure group, heart meridian 7th point (HT7), large intestine meridian 4th point, stomach meridian 36th point (ST36) and spleen meridian 6th point (SP6) will be applied. Tissue sensitivity will be reduced by heating and rubbing for about 20 seconds without direct pressure on the acupressure points, and the points will be ready for acupressure application. Subsequently, consecutive (breathing rhythm) compressions will be applied to the acupressure points determined by the researcher, without raising the finger, taking into account the pain threshold of the individual who is applied with the thumb, with 10 seconds of pressure for two seconds of relief Since the symmetry of the selected four different points will also be applied to the other extremity, a total of 16 minutes of compression will be applied to each point, provided that it is two minutes. Each nurse's session will be approximately 20 minutes, depending on the preparation and compression time on each point.
In the sham group, acupressure will be applied on the bone region where the meridians do not pass, approximately 1-1.5 cm away from the HT7, LI4, ST36, SP6 points. The application process will continue in the same way with acupressure group and the pressure intensity will be less.
Sleep quality evaluated using the Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index
The total scale score is in the range of 0 (minimum) -21 (maximum), and the high total Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI) score indicates that sleep quality is low. A total PSQI score between 0-4 indicates good sleep quality, while between 5-21 shows that sleep quality is low.
Time frame: Change from before implementation and 4th week of practice.
Fatigue evaluated using the Fatigue Severity Scale
It is a Likert-type scale consisting of a total of nine items, each item being evaluated between 1 and 7 (1=I totally disagree, 7=I totally agree). The fatigue score is obtained by dividing the total score obtained from the scale by the number of scale items. The score that can be obtained from the scale varies between 9 and 63. A high score indicates an increased level of fatigue.
Time frame: Change from before implementation and 4th week of practice
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Mersin University