Did you know that insomnia affects up to 50% of cancer patients and receives little attention from the medical community compared to other symptoms, such as pain and fatigue?
We know that sleep disorders are common in cancer patients and their companions. There are many reasons why you may have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. The most common are stress, anxiety, and the anguish of a new diagnosis. Sometimes the tumor or cancer itself can be the cause. Physical changes caused by cancer, being in the hospital, treatment side effects, and non-cancer health problems can interfere with your sleep routine and quality.
Fighting insomnia is a real fight. More often than not, persistent insomnia is associated with an increased risk of developing anxiety or clinical depression and can add to daytime fatigue.
Remember that there are aids to optimize sleep, and you must prioritize this aspect of your health. Evidence suggests that managing insomnia through a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological means may have a positive impact on insomnia and related symptoms, general health, and quality of life. Good habits help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep, improving your mood and energy and decreasing your fatigue.
Here we share a tool that has worked for many people:
Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, can reduce anxiety and help you relax.
Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT) can reduce anxiety and help you relax, and it also helps you reduce anxiety about not getting enough sleep. You learn to change negative thoughts and beliefs about sleep into positive thoughts and images so you can fall asleep more easily. CBT helps replace the anxiety of “I need to sleep” with the idea of “just relax.” You learn to change sleep habits that prevent good sleep, such as relaxation techniques, stimulus control, and sleep restriction.
Tips to sleep better:
- Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature
- Remove electronic devices.
- Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime
- Get some exercise, being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
Take from CDC.
Try these suggestions, and work on your sleep routine. You are your priority and accompanying you in this process is ours!
The Relaxation while sleeping meditation is a great tool for you to listen to before bed, it will help you fall asleep
