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14 - Sleep and its disorders: clinical science

from Section 2 - Cancer Symptom Mechanisms and Models: Clinical and Basic Science

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2011

By
Lianqi Liu  and
Sonia Ancoli-Israel
Edited by
Charles S. Cleeland ,
Michael J. Fisch  and
Adrian J. Dunn
Lianqi Liu
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego
Sonia Ancoli-Israel
Affiliation:
University of California San Diego
Charles S. Cleeland
Affiliation:
University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Michael J. Fisch
Affiliation:
University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Adrian J. Dunn
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii, Manoa
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Summary

Sleep disturbances are common in patients with cancer yet are often neglected. Most of the sleep studies conducted in patients with cancer have been related almost exclusively to insomnia; other kinds of sleep disturbances – for example, sleep-disordered breathing and periodic limb movement – have rarely been studied in relation to cancer. Systematic research into other sleep disorders commonly seen in the general population, such as circadian-rhythm disturbances and restless legs syndrome, is rare in patients with cancer.

To understand the relationship between sleep disorders and cancer, one must first have a general understanding of the various sleep disorders. The sleep disorders most common in patients with cancer are insomnias, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, and circadian-rhythm sleep disorders. In this chapter we present a brief introduction of several of these relatively common sleep problems, followed by discussion of the prevalence, possible reasons, and treatment of sleep disturbance in cancer and a consideration of future research and treatment directions.

Common sleep disorders

Insomnia

Insomnia is defi ned as diffi culty with sleep initiation or maintenance that (1) occurs despite adequate time and opportunity for sleep, and (2) results in some form of daytime impairment, such as clinically significant distress, fatigue, or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Insomnia can be divided into two types of complaints, depending upon the duration of the sleep difficulty.

Type
Chapter
Information
Cancer Symptom Science
Measurement, Mechanisms, and Management
 , pp. 160 - 169
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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