Randomised trial, 2026
Does a warm footbath help PMS symptoms and sleep quality?
A nightly warm footbath during the premenstrual phase reduced PMS symptoms and improved quality of life in women with PMS. It did not improve sleep quality.
What they did
A randomized controlled trial with 78 university students in Turkey. 39 were assigned to nightly footbaths with water at 38 to 42 degrees Celsius for 7 to 10 days during the premenstrual phase for three menstrual cycles, and 39 were controls with no intervention. PMS symptoms, sleep quality, and quality of life were measured before and after each cycle.
What they found
The footbath group showed statistically significant improvements in PMS scores and subscales including depressive mood, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, depressive thoughts, pain, and sleep changes compared to control (P < 0.05). Quality of life improved significantly in bodily pain, energy, emotional role, and mental health subscales. Sleep quality did not show statistically significant improvement compared to control.
What it means for you
Warm footbaths may be a simple, low-cost way to reduce PMS symptoms and improve quality of life, though they do not appear to improve sleep. The study was limited to one university in Turkey during one academic year.
78
students total
38-42
degrees Celsius water temperature
7-10
days per cycle
About the study
- Original title
- The Effect of Footbath on Premenstrual Syndrome, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in University Students with Premenstrual Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Authors
- Yücesoy H, Erbil N
- Journal
- Journal of integrative and complementary medicine
- Year
- 2026
- Study design
- Randomised trial
- Participants
- 39
- What was tested
- Nightly warm footbath at 38 to 42 degrees Celsius for 7 to 10 days during premenstrual phase, 3 cycles
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1177/27683605251392784
Topics
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