Managing sleep disruptions during cancer: Practical tips for patient education

Caroline Arbour, Danny Hjeij, Karine Bilodeau

Abstract


Sleep disruptions are commonly reported during and after cancer. In addition to its immediate relevance for patients’ immunity and response to treatment, poor sleep can also affect their psychological health and, ultimately, quality of life. Sleep disturbances can also affect caregivers who are supporting cancer patients, adding to their burden. Therefore, it is important for both patients and their families to receive personalized advice and assistance to improve sleep quality. Research has demonstrated that providing intervention for sleep difficulties early in the care trajectory of cancer patients can enhance satisfaction with care and reduce depression. In this article, we will outline basic practical tips that oncology nurses can offer to patients experiencing sleep difficulties, ranging from basic sleep hygiene practices to rearranging their bedroom environment for better rest.

Keywords: cancer, sleep, sleep hygiene, patient education, nursing 


Full Text:

PDF

References


Al Maqbali, M., Al Sinani, M., Alsayed, A., & Gleason, A. M. (2022). Prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Nursing Research, 31(6), 1107–1123. https://doi.org/10.1177/10547738221092146

Beverly Hery, C. M., Janse, S. A., Van Zee, K. J., Naftalis, E. Z., Paskett, E. D., & Naughton, M. J. (2023). Factors associated with insomnia symptoms over three years among premenopausal women with breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 202(1), 155–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-023-07058-z

Bock, K., Peltzer, J., Liu, W., Colgrove, Y., Smirnova, I., & Siengsukon, C. (2024). Sleep quality and lymphedema in breast cancer survivors: A mixed method analysis. Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice, 1.1007/s11764-023-01516-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-023-01516-9

Britton, A., Fat, L. N., & Neligan, A. (2020). The association between alcohol consumption and sleep disorders among older people in the general population. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 5275. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-62227-0

Büttner-Teleag?, A., Kim, Y.-T., Osel, T. & Richter, K. (2021). Sleep disorders in cancer—A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11696. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11696

Canadian Cancer Society (2024). Lymphedema. https://cancer.ca/en/treatments/side-effects/lymphedema

Capezuti, E., Pain, K., Alamag, E., Chen, X., Philibert, V., & Krieger, A. C. (2022). Systematic review: Auditory stimulation and sleep. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 18(6), 1697–1709. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.9860

Castelli, L., Elter, T., Wolf, F., Watson, M., Schenk, A., Steindorf, K., Bloch, W., Hallek, M., Joisten, N., & Zimmer, P. (2022). Sleep problems and their interaction with physical activity and fatigue in hematological cancer patients during onset of high dose chemotherapy. Supportive Care in Cancer, 30(1), 167–176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-06377-5

Chen, H.-M., Cheung, D. S. T., Lin, Y.-Y., Wu, Y.-C., Liu, C.-Y., Lin, K.-C., Lin, Y.-J., & Lin, C.-C. (2020). Relationships of exercise timing with sleep, fatigue and rest–activity rhythms of lung cancer patients in Taiwan: An exploratory study. European Journal of Cancer Care, 29(4), e13233. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13233

Chow, C. M., Shin, M., Mahar, T. J., Halaki, M., & Ireland, A. (2019). The impact of sleepwear fiber type on sleep quality under warm ambient conditions. Nature and Science of Sleep, 11(null), 167–178. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S209116

Fane, M., & Weeraratna, A. T. (2020). How the ageing microenvironment influences tumour progression. Nature Reviews Cancer, 20(2), 89–106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-019-0222-9

Grassi, L., Zachariae, R., Caruso, R., Palagini, L., Campos-Ródenas, R., Riba, M. B., Lloyd-Williams, M., Kissane, D., Rodin, G., McFarland, D., Ripamonti, C. I. & Santini, D. (2023). Insomnia in adult patients with cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline. ESMO Open, 8(6), 102047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esmoop.2023.102047

Hui, D., & Bruera, E. (2017). The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System 25 years later: Past, present, and future developments. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 53(3), 630–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.10.370

Irish, L. A., Kline, C. E., Gunn, H. E., Buysse, D. J., & Hall, M. H. (2015). The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 22, 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001

Leger, D., Bonnefoy, B., Pigearias, B., de La Giclais, B., & Chartier, A. (2017). Poor sleep is highly associated with house dust mite allergic rhinitis in adults and children. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, 13(1), 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13223-017-0208-7

Ng, J. Y., & Parakh, N. D. (2021). A systematic review and quality assessment of complementary and alternative medicine recommendations in insomnia clinical practice guidelines. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 21(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-021-03223-3

Nollet, M., Wisden, W., & Franks, N. P. (2020). Sleep deprivation and stress: A reciprocal relationship. Interface Focus, 10(3), 20190092. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2019.0092

Perndorfer, C., Soriano, E. C., Siegel, S. D., Spencer, R. M. C., Otto, A. K., & Laurenceau, J.-P. (2022). Fear of cancer recurrence and sleep in couples coping with early-stage breast cancer. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 56(11), 1131–1143. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaac018

Robinson, D., Jr., Esseltine, D.-L., Regnault, A., Meunier, J., Liu, K., & van de Velde, H. (2016). The influence of baseline characteristics and disease stage on health-related quality of life in multiple myeloma: Findings from six randomized controlled trials. British Journal of Haematology, 174(3), 368–381. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjh.14058

Schieber, K., Niecke, A., Geiser, F., Erim, Y., Bergelt, C., Büttner-Teleaga, A., Maatouk, I., Stein, B., Teufel, M., Wickert, M., Wuensch, A., & Weis, J. (2019). The course of cancer-related insomnia: Don’t expect it to disappear after cancer treatment. Sleep Medicine, 58, 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2019.02.018

Shin, M., Halaki, M., Swan, P., Ireland, A. H., & Chow, C. M. (2016). The effects of fabric for sleepwear and bedding on sleep at ambient temperatures of 17 c and 22 c. Nature and Science of Sleep, 8, 121–131. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S100271

Valero-Cantero, I., Wärnberg, J., Carrión-Velasco, Y., Martínez-Valero, F. J., Casals, C., & Vázquez-Sánchez, M. Á. (2021). Predictors of sleep disturbances in caregivers of patients with advanced cancer receiving home palliative care: A descriptive cross-sectional study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 51, 101907. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2021.101907

Wang, F., & Boros, S. (2021). The effect of physical activity on sleep quality: A systematic review. European Journal of Physiotherapy, 23(1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/21679169.2019.1623314

Wu, H.-S., Davis, J. E., & Chen, L. (2021). Bright light shows promise in improving sleep, depression, and quality of life in women with breast cancer during chemotherapy: Findings of a pilot study. Chronobiology International, 38(5), 694–704. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2021.1871914

Zhang, S.-L., Wang, W.-R., Liu, Z.-J., & Wang, Z.-M. (2019). Marital status and survival in patients with soft tissue sarcoma: A population-based, propensity-matched study. Cancer Medicine, 8(2), 465–479. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.1802

Zhao, L., Han, G., Zhao, Y., Jin, Y., Ge, T., Yang, W., Cui, R., Xu, S., & Li, B. (2020). Gender differences in depression: Evidence from genetics. Frontiers in Genetics, 11, 1145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.562316


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share