Effects of water beds on the sleep and motility of theophylline-treated preterm infants.

With evidence accumulating that the sleep of infants receiving theophylline is sharply reduced, this study tested whether water bed flotation could increase the sleep and attenuate the restlessness of preterm infants treated with theophylline for apnea. Seventeen preterm infants served as their own control, off and on gently oscillating water beds. The infants' sleep and motility were assessed on days 3 and 4 during the experimental and control conditions. While on the water bed, the infants had significantly more quiet and active sleep, shorter sleep latencies, fewer state changes, less restlessness during sleep, less waking activity, and fewer jittery and unsmooth movements. Reductions in wakefulness and state changes on the water bed were significantly greater, the longer the infants were receiving theophylline, but they were unrelated to theophylline levels which, for the group as a whole, were relatively low. Residual apnea was not reduced on the water bed. Although water bed flotation significantly improved the infants' sleep and motility, stable behaviour differences among the infants were observed across the experimental and control conditions.