Sleep and the Cancer Patient
Insomnia is considered one of the most serious side effects of cancer.
45% to 50% of all cancer patients deal with disturbances of sleep.
The sleep cycle consists of four stages, going from light to deep sleep and finally REM (Rapid Eye Movement). The sleep cycle takes about 90 minutes. Per SleepDex, “infants spend almost 50% of their time in REM sleep. Adults spend nearly half of sleep time in stage 2, about 20% in REM and the other 30% is divided between the other three stages . ”
Are you getting enough sleep? A typical adult needs about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. Many people say they only need five hours of sleep a night, but researchers have found that this is true of only about 10% of the adult population.
The typical cancer patient has many valid reasons why their sleep is being disturbed.
Causes of sleep disturbances in cancer patients:
- Chemotherapy and other medication side effects
- Pain
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Lower GI problems such as constipation or diarrhea
- Depression
- Interruptions of sleep in the hospital
- General fatigue
- Stress
Are you sleep deprived? 
Find out. Test your reaction time at Sheep Dash.
Tina Radcliffe spent ten years as a Oncology Certified R.N. working with in-patients on oncology and med-surg units. She also has a background in home health and geriatrics. Her other experiences include ... .. 
