Effects of Music-Based Interventions on Sleep Patterns and Physiological Responses in Premature Newborns: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

August 11, 2025 updated by: Sevgi Beyazgül, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
Sleep in the neonatal period is a fundamental biological requirement for regulating growth, neurodevelopment, and the immune system. However, disruptions in sleep patterns during this period are common among both term and preterm infants. Preterm infants have a more fragile sleep structure due to incomplete neurological maturation, while term infants may also experience sleep difficulties during the postnatal adaptation process. Improving sleep onset and sleep quality in newborns is crucial for the well-being and quality of life of both the infant and the family.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Music therapy-particularly lullabies-has been a traditional approach used for centuries to help infants fall asleep. It is believed that music and lullabies promote relaxation by regulating respiration and heart rate in infants, reducing stress responses, and thereby enhancing sleep quality. In recent years, there has been growing interest in music-based interventions in neonatal intensive care units, as these methods offer non-invasive, easily applicable, and cost-effective alternatives. However, research findings on the effects of music therapy and lullabies on neonatal sleep are varied. Due to the physiological and behavioral differences in preterm infants, their responses to music-based interventions may differ from those of term infants. Therefore, comprehensive evaluations of studies involving both preterm and term neonates are crucial for synthesizing current evidence and guiding healthcare professionals.

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the effects of lullaby and music therapy interventions on sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep onset latency in both preterm and term neonates, and to provide an up-to-date summary of the existing literature.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
1415

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This meta-analysis includes preterm (gestational age 26-37 weeks) neonates who were exposed to music therapy, lullabies, or other sound-based interventions in randomized controlled or quasi-experimental studies.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Premature infants who are clinically stable and between 26 and 37 weeks' gestational age.
  • Infants monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
  • A music-based intervention
  • Sleep outcomes and/or physiological parameters measured.
  • Randomised controlled design Full-text studies are available.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non-neonatal infants (aged over 28 days). Term infants (≥37 weeks).

    • Non-neonatal age groups
    • Only assessing secondary outcomes, such as parental anxiety or caregiver stress
    • Case reports, conference abstracts, letters, etc.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
1
Lullaby and/or Music Therapy Group
Other Sound-Based Interventions Group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sleep Quality in Neonates
Time Frame: During or within 24 hours after the intervention period
- Weight gain Sleep-related indicators: sleep duration, duration of quiet sleep, sleep-wake cycle and brain activity, as measured by aEEG.
During or within 24 hours after the intervention period

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 10, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 1, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 1, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 11, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 17, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 11, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • İstanbul Universty Cerrahpaşa

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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