Insomnia is a frequent and enduring problem in patients with cancer, particularly at the syndrome level. Early intervention strategies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, could prevent the problem from becoming more severe and chronic.

Insomnia and cognitive impairment are both highly prevalent in breast cancer patients. This study, conducted among women treated for non-metastatic breast cancer, aimed at assessing the relationship between insomnia and cognitive functioning, measured objectively and subjectively, and evaluating the moderating role of age, educational level and intellectual potential. Sixty-three women completed a neuropsychological battery, self-report scales of cognitive functioning, 2 weeks of a daily sleep diary, and a demographic and medical questionnaire. Significant differences between women with insomnia and good sleepers were found on verbal episodic memory and executive functioning, assessed objectively, and some aspects of subjective cognitive functioning. Moreover, older age and a higher education were associated with more severe cognitive impairments related to insomnia.

Areas for future research are suggested.

Although replication with larger samples is needed, these results confirm the efficacy of CT for depression in the context of breast cancer and suggest that BLT could be of some utility when CT is not available or desired. (PsycINFO Database Record

This study suggests that the speed and duration of hot flashes would contribute more importantly to sleep alterations than hot flash frequency. Sleep disturbances tend to occur simultaneously with hot flashes, suggesting that these two nocturnal symptoms are manifestations of a higher-order mechanism involving the central nervous system.