Sleep disorders have become one of the important symptoms of cancer patients [1], and some scholars have studied the influencing factors of sleep disorders in patients with advanced cancer, and found that nearly sixty percent of patients with advanced cancer have sleep disorders. [2]
What is a sleep disorder?
Sleep disorders refer to disorders in which the amount of sleep is abnormal (including increased or decreased sleep), abnormal behaviors during sleep (including sleepwalking, talking, night terrors (sudden commotion and screaming during sleep; shortness of breath, sweating or hallucinations, etc.), nightmares, teeth grinding, etc.), and alternating rhythms of sleep and wakefulness.
Its main manifestations are difficulty falling asleep, light sleep, easy awakening or early awakening, etc. Some diseases are also often accompanied by insomnia, such as neurasthenia, anxiety, etc. [3] Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is commonly used in clinical practice to confirm the diagnosis.
This has a serious impact on the treatment and rehabilitation of patients, and is also an important factor leading to the decline in the quality of life of some patients. [4]
In addition, sleep disturbance can also reduce the immunity of cancer patients to a certain extent, and then aggravate the evolution of the disease. It can be seen that improving sleep quality is of great significance to cancer patients.
Image source: Photo.com
So what can you do to improve your sleep?
01 Scientifically determine sleep time
That is, let the human body develop a fixed "biological clock". Under normal circumstances, the body will start to secrete melatonin at 9 o'clock, which makes people feel sleepy, and 1-2 o'clock in the morning is the deepest time to sleep. If you haven't slept during this time, it is more likely to cause insomnia.
The body's sleep needs generally peak at these three times: 1-3 p.m., 5-7 p.m., and around 11 p.m.
You can make your own rest time according to this time period, sleep at night, the daytime sleep time is best controlled within 1 hour, and during the day, you don't necessarily have to fall asleep, closing your eyes and resting can also relieve the brain fatigue caused by lack of sleep, so that your body can recover from a state.
02 Prepare for bed
Before going to bed, we can do some relaxing activities to help us fall asleep better and faster, and those who like music can put on some soft music and white noise to relieve the tension at the end of the day.
Image source: Photo.com
Try to turn off your mobile phone, computer and other blue light electronic devices half an hour before going to bed - it will make people's minds clear and not easy to fall asleep.
In addition, Bill Fisher, a certified doctor of sleep science in the United States, said that taking a bath half an hour to an hour before bedtime is a sleep aid, and patients with sleep disorders such as insomnia can choose to take a bath at night. Seekers can also try to improve their sleep through this method.
03 Adjust your sleeping position
If the physical condition allows, you can imitate the baby's sleeping position for better sleep quality.
The specific posture is: lie on your side with your body lying on your side (right-handed, left-handed, left-handed, right-handed), knees slightly bent, arms in front of your chest, gently overlapped, neck, head and hips form a smooth straight line. This sleeping position increases a person's sense of security and also improves snoring.
Image source: Internet (invasion and deletion)
However, for some people who have a really bad sleep or cannot sleep normally due to the torture caused by the disease, it is recommended to seek help from a doctor as soon as possible to improve.
In addition, you should avoid the following 2 misunderstandings about sleep knowledge
01 Long sleep time equals ensuring sleep quality
Many people deliberately extend their sleep time in their leisure time, which is called "catch-up sleep", but often find that the more they sleep, the more tired they become. Studies have found that women over the age of 50 who sleep 9 hours a day increase the risk of stroke. And sleeping too long every day is not only bad for the body, but also reduces people's IQ.
So it's not that just because you sleep longer doesn't mean you get better sleep!
True sleep quality depends on sleep cycles, an effective sleep cycle is about 90 minutes, and ideally, we get 5 sleep cycles a day, which is 7.5 hours.
Image source: Photo.com
Also, don't worry too much about having a "bad night without a good night", just make sure you don't lack a sleep cycle for three nights in a row, and get enough sleep for at least 4 days a week.
02 Be sure to get 8 hours of sleep
At this time, someone asks you what is the best time to sleep, and the first reaction of many people is 8 hours. But what I want to say is that there is a big difference in individual sleep needs, and there is no need to sleep hard for 8 hours.
Friends should find the most suitable sleep time for themselves according to their own conditions. The easiest way to do this is to wake up and observe your physical and mental feedback.
If you have poor sleep quality (i.e., you have been in a light sleep state for a long time), you will still feel sleepy and tired even if you sleep for 8 hours.
Image source: Photo.com
Therefore, we should not just cling to sleeping for a few hours every night, but should see if this rest helps us to recover mentally.
Finally, if you have a better way to overcome sleep disorders, you can donate your treasure under the message box below to help more friends~
Warm reminder: The information involved in this article is intended to convey the cutting-edge medical information and research progress, and does not involve the recommendation of diagnosis and treatment plans.
Image source: Photo.com
Editor in charge: Mijian Kepujun