Sleep and Cancer

Abstract

Sleep disorders are common, yet underdiagnosed, in cancer care. This chapter focuses on three of the most prevalent disorders: sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disruption, and insomnia, with insomnia being the main focus. Causes and consequences are discussed through the lens of Spielman’s 3P model of chronic insomnia. The chapter discusses the challenges of screening and diagnosing sleep disorders in cancer and gives recommendations for establishing and improving these practices. It also reviews interventions used to treat insomnia and the varying degrees of empirical support that currently exist. Finally, the chapter discusses barriers to treatment and special groups of individuals that require special consideration.