Sleep-wake disturbances in people with cancer part I: an overview of sleep, sleep regulation, and effects of disease and treatment.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of normal sleep, describe common sleep disorders, and discuss underlying sleep regulatory processes and how cancer, cancer treatment, and associated patient responses may adversely affect sleep.


METHODS
Published peer-reviewed articles and textbooks.


RESULTS
The duration, structure, and timing of sleep have a profound impact on health, well-being, and performance. Patients with cancer may be at risk for disturbances in sleeping and waking resulting from disease- and nondisease-related circumstances that interfere with normal sleep regulation, including demographic, lifestyle, psychological, and disease- and treatment-related factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with cancer are at high risk for sleep-wake disturbances.


CONCLUSIONS
An understanding of normal sleep, sleep pathology, and the factors that can precipitate sleep disturbance provides a context for nurses to interpret sleep complaints in their patients, evaluate responses to sleep-promoting interventions, and guide decision making regarding referrals.
Vena
Catherine
C
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. cvena@emory.edu
Parker
Kathy
K
Cunningham
Mary
M
Clark
Jane
J
McMillan
Susany
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications; D009384:Paraneoplastic Endocrine Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016207:Cytokines