Getting quality, restful sleep is often referred to as sleep hygiene. Sleep is crucial in cancer survivorship for several reasons. Sleep hygiene is a critical aspect of health and well-being, especially for cancer survivors navigating the challenges of recovery. After undergoing treatment, you may experience disruption in your sleep patterns due to factors like stress, anxiety, pain, and the physical effects of treatment.
Establishing healthy sleep habits can help improve sleep quality, enhance emotional resilience, and support the body’s natural healing processes. By adopting effective sleep hygiene practices—such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a restful environment, and minimizing exposure to screens before bedtime—survivors can foster restorative sleep that aids their recovery journey. Prioritizing sleep not only contributes to physical health but also promotes a greater sense of overall well-being, empowering survivors to embrace life after cancer with renewed energy and vitality.
Here are some specific ways sleep quality impacts our day to day life:
- Physical Recovery: Quality sleep supports the body’s healing processes. It aids in tissue repair, immune function, and overall recovery from treatment side effects.
- Mental Health: Survivors often face anxiety, depression, and stress. Good sleep hygiene can help mitigate these issues, improving mood and cognitive function.
- Fatigue Management: Cancer treatments can lead to significant fatigue. Establishing healthy sleep habits can help survivors manage fatigue better, enhancing their quality of life.
- Hormonal Balance: Sleep regulates various hormones, including those related to stress and metabolism. Disrupted sleep can negatively impact these hormones, which is particularly important for survivors as they navigate lifestyle changes.
- Cognitive Function: Sleep affects memory and concentration. Survivors may experience "chemo brain," and maintaining good sleep hygiene can help improve cognitive clarity.
- Lifestyle Choices: Good sleep can encourage healthier lifestyle choices, including better nutrition and increased physical activity, which are essential for long-term health.
- Overall Well-being: Adequate sleep is linked to better immune response and reduced risk of recurrence. Survivors who prioritize sleep may enjoy better long-term outcomes.
Some suggestions for establishing good sleep hygiene to obtain restful, quality sleep include:
- Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to establish a consistent sleep schedule.
- Creating a calming bedtime routine signals to your body that it's time to wind down and prepare for sleep. Activities such as reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation can help promote relaxation and prepare your mind and body for sleep. Avoid activities, conversations, or movies that excite or create alertness in your body.
- Create a sleep-friendly environment that is conducive to relaxation and restorative sleep. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using white noise machines or earplugs to block out disruptive sounds, and use blackout curtains or sleep masks to minimize light exposure.
- The blue light emitted by smartphones, computers, tablets, and televisions can interfere with your body's natural sleep-wake cycle and make it harder to fall asleep. Aim to limit screen time at least an hour before bedtime, and consider using "night mode" settings or blue light filters on electronic devices to reduce exposure to stimulating light.
- Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and nicotine close to bedtime, as these can interfere with sleep quality and disrupt your ability to fall asleep. Instead, opt for light snacks if you're hungry before bed, and choose decaffeinated beverages in the evening.
- Engaging in regular physical activity can help promote better sleep by reducing stress, anxiety, and tension. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, but try to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime, as it may be too stimulating and interfere with sleep.
- Stress and anxiety can have a significant impact on sleep quality, so it's essential to find healthy ways to manage stress and promote relaxation. Techniques such as mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and journaling can help calm the mind and promote better sleep.
By using some of these sleep hygiene suggestions, you may find yourself establishing a consistent routine and more restful sleep.
References
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