Dealing with Symptoms - Sleep Disturbances

Fatigue | Eating Problems | Nausea | Hair Loss | Sore Mouth and Throat | Dry Mouth | Sleep Disturbances | Bowel Problems | Anxiety | Depression | Breathing Difficulties

Cancer sufferers may lack the ability to get a good night’s sleep for a number of reasons.  Many times, the inability to sleep through the night is caused by anxiety about the disease and its treatments.  Anxiety is one of the foremost causes of poor sleep, even among basically healthy individuals.  When you’re nervous about your disease and how it will affect your life, you may be unable to fall asleep or may wake several times during the night.  You may also find that you wake up quite early and can’t get back to sleep.  Similarly, depression may disturb your sleep as well.

Sometimes a meso patient’s sleep is disturbed by pain or the inability to breathe properly.  Inform your doctor or other health care provider if your pain medications aren’t working through the night or if you feel as if you can’t breathe when you try to fall asleep.  These problems can be solved with different medications or by increasing your oxygen intake if you are on oxygen.

Because many treatments cause fatigue, you may find that you’re sleeping off and on during the day.  Making an attempt to avoid frequent naps, if possible, may help you sleep better at night.  Try exercising or keeping more active during the day and you may find that your nighttime sleep is more consistent.

If you’re taking medications such as steroids shortly before bedtime, they may be causing disturbances in your sleep patterns.  Ask your doctor to alter your medication schedule so that your last pill is consumed several hours before bedtime.

If you continue having difficulty sleeping, even after you’ve addressed the problem with your doctor, try the following:

• Don’t lie in bed lamenting your inability to sleep.  Get up and do something that might eventually make you sleepy.  Try reading a book or listening to soothing music.  If you feel sleepy in an hour or two, go back to bed.
• Make your bedroom as quiet as possible and ask family members to please refrain from loud talking or making other noises that may disturb your sleep.
• Try the age-old remedy of drinking warm milk before you turn in for the night. 
• Try a homeopathic remedy for sleeplessness, such as lavender or geranium oil.  Many cancer sufferers boast excellent results with alternative remedies.
• Learn a few relaxation exercises that involve deep breathing and relaxing various muscles throughout the body.