New Information on the Importance of Sleep

The National Cancer Institute website says that, “Cancer patients are at great risk for developing insomnia and disorders of the sleep-wake cycle.” It is extremely important to address sleep disorders because, “Anxiety and depression, common psychological responses to the diagnosis of cancer, cancer treatment, and hospitalization, are highly correlated with insomnia.”

We can’t know which comes first, the insomnia or the anxiety and depression. Or can we? Recent findings, like the study featured in this TIME magazine article, show that dreaming (usually only done in stages of REM sleep) has a helpful emotional processing function that helps us cope with our waking life.? If we are not getting enough sleep, we don’t enter REM sleep and can’t benefit from this effect. The price we pay in our waking life, according to the article, is irritability, depression, and anxiety. Lack of sleep can also have and effect on pain tolerance, the ability to make decisions and read emotions in others. All of those side effects are things that can make cancer treatment near unbearable and even worse, have lasting psychological repercussions. Many patients continue to suffer from anxiety and depression long after their physical treatment is finished. Sleep problems could very well be a factor.

Sleep dissorders can be prevented and they are something that you should discuss with your doctor as soon as possible.