Psychosocial correlates of sleep quality and architecture in women with metastatic breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Sleep disturbance is prevalent among women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Our study examined the relationship of depression and marital status to sleep assessed over three nights of polysomnography (PSG).


METHODS
Women with MBC (N=103) were recruited; they were predominately white (88.2%) and 57.8±7.7 years of age. Linear regression analyses assessed relationships among depression, marital status, and sleep parameters.


RESULTS
Women with MBC who reported more depressive symptoms had lighter sleep (e.g., stage 1 sleep; P<.05), less slow-wave sleep (SWS) (P<.05), and less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (P<.05). Single women had less total sleep time (TST) (P<.01), more wake after sleep onset (WASO) (P<.05), worse sleep efficiency (SE) (P<.05), lighter sleep (e.g., stage 1; P<.05), and less REM sleep (P<.05) than married women. Significant interactions indicated that depressed and single women had worse sleep quality than partnered women or those who were not depressed.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with MBC and greater symptoms of depression had increased light sleep and reduced SWS and REM sleep, and single women had worse sleep quality and greater light sleep than married counterparts. Marriage was related to improved sleep for women with more depressive symptoms.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA 94305-5718, United States. Electronic address: aagerry@stanford.edu.
Arianna
A
Aldridge-Gerry
Jamie M
JM
Zeitzer
Oxana G
OG
Palesh
Booil
B
Jo
Bita
B
Nouriani
Eric
E
Neri
David
D
Spiegel
D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000556:secondary*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D011584:Psychology; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology
Depression; Metastatic breast cancer; Polysomnography; Sleep architecture; Sleep quality; Women