The Burden of Caregiving and Sleep Disturbance Among Family Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients

Abstract

Family caregivers with risk factors for sleep disturbance should be identified and be provided resources for sleep quality improvement.

Dyadic effects of distress on sleep duration in advanced cancer patients and spouse caregivers

“…These findings strongly support further research of the dyadic effects of distress on sleep to identify longitudinal effects on holistic sleep outcomes for those coping with advanced cancer and their caregivers. Despite numerous interventions targeting sleep disturbance in cancer patients, a significant portion of advanced cancer patients and caregivers still report poor sleep . To maximize effectiveness, interventions for sleep disturbance in cancer patients or caregivers may benefit from including strategies for coping with a partner's anxiety or including both members of the couple.…”

“…Short sleep duration is one of the most commonly reported forms of sleep disturbance among cancer caregivers, 10 and previous work has demonstrated that both cancer patients and caregivers report getting less than the recommended minimum amount of sleep per night. 3,6,11,12 Subjective sleep duration is directly associated with meaningful clinical outcomes, including many physical health conditions, 3,13,14 all-cause and cancer-specific mortality, 14,15 as well as survival in advanced cancer patients. 3 Importantly, sleep duration is also associated with various mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression.…”

“…It is estimated that over 95% of advanced cancer caregivers experience sleep disturbance . Poor sleep may contribute to difficulties actually executing daily caregiving tasks and to increased caregiver burden . It has also been linked to anxiety, depression, and worse physical health in caregivers, as well as interference with the grieving process and difficulty returning to pre‐caregiving responsibilities after the patient's death …”

Dyadic associations between psychological distress and sleep disturbance among Chinese patients with cancer and their spouses

“…Fourth, the sample was relatively small in size to investigate the potential effects of sex, age, or treatment status. Fifth, other relevant confounding factors, such as treatment status, pain and other physical symptoms, financial situation, and caregiver burden, were not investigated . Last, the directions of effects cannot be informed in this cross‐sectional study.…”

Effects of the caregiver burden perceived by caregivers of patients with neurological disorders on caregiver wellbeing and caregiver stress

“…for his/her family and relatives, and due to the responsibility that it places on the caregiver, it can be perceived as a burden of care. [3][4][5] The burden of care is one of the most serious problems for family caregivers who look after a family member with a chronic progressive disease. The burden of care causes the caregiver to delay his/her needs and leads to negative experiences such as reduced interpersonal relationships and impaired physical health, which later affect the caregiver's wellbeing level and can cause him/ her to experience emotional changes such as stress.…”