Sleep used to be considered a passive state in which not much happened in our bodies and our minds. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Many necessary physical and psychological activities take place when we sleep. When we are sleep deprived, either insufficient or poor quality of rest, we feel irritable, lethargic, have a low concentration and are more prone to accidents. When someone is diagnosed with a serious illness like mesothelioma, sleep disorders are common.
If sleep is not a passive state, then what happens when we sleep? Sleep is divided into two distinct phases: NREM and REM. These two phases have different functions, and the cycle regularly through all these phases throughout the night.
Maintenance to keep the body Running
Our metabolism slows down and our brain waves slow significantly during REM sleep. blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate also decreases, but increases the digestion. It was at this time that our body is essential repairs at a cellular level, and our immune system is most active.
Stage 1 NREM sleep lasts about 5-15 minutes and we feel as if we drift in and out of sleep. In Step 2, we lose awareness of our environment and our heart rate, breathing rate and brain waves begins to slow. This stage lasts about 10-15 minutes.
Steps 3 and 4 and takes about an hour we wake up becomes difficult in these stages of sleep. It is during these steps that most of the physiological repair takes place in our body. Think of these steps as routine maintenance to keep our systems running properly.
brain needs a boost
REM sleep is that our brain performs its maintenance. Our brain is very active in REM sleep and our heart rate and breathing increase. Our voluntary muscles are unable to move during this sleep stage. cognitive recovery occurs during REM sleep.
Our brains events souvenirs file, thoughts and emotions of the day and eliminate insignificant events. It is believed that the psychological and emotional recovery occurs in REM sleep. Most of our dreams occur in REM sleep, our eye movements, heart rate and respiration correspond to what happens in our dreams.
We cycle through these different stages of sleep several times throughout the night. Each complete cycle lasts about 0 minutes. We spend more time in REM sleep during the first half of the night and more REM sleep in the second half.
mesothelioma and Sleep
There are many reasons for sleep can be affected when someone has mesothelioma. The causes of sleep problems can be divided into several categories:
- factors related to treatment: bone pain caused by chemotherapy, peripheral neuropathy, post-operative pain and insomnia induced steroids can keep patients awake mesothelioma.
- psychological factors: Worrying and stress can lead to insomnia and depression can lead to both insomnia and hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
- factors related illnesses: . Discomfort due to fluid accumulation in the lungs or abdomen or pain resulting from the growth of the tumor can affect the ability to obtain good sleep
- lifestyle factors: . Increased intake of caffeine to fight against fatigue, lack of exercise and changes in daily routine from treatment may affect our ability to sleep.
Understanding the cause of your sleep problems will help you better communicate your sleep problems to your health care team, enabling them to better respond to the question.
medications and supplements
Many people are turning to prescription drugs, over-the-counter sleep aids and natural supplements to help with their sleep problems.
There are two classes of drugs that doctors regularly prescribe to help their patients sleep: hypnotic and anti-anxiety drugs drugs like Ambien, Lunesta, Restoril and Sonata are all hypnotic and are strictly (benzodiazepines). used to help people less than eight hours of sleep at night
When people are struggling. sleep because of worrying or anxiety, benzodiazepines are a good choice because they are short-acting and an alarming decline and other symptoms of anxiety. Examples of benzodiazepines are Xanax, Valium, Klonopin and Ativan. Clinical research shows that these drugs are useful and safe to use with cancer patients struggling with sleep problems.
When people do not want to take a prescribed medication to help them sleep, they turn to over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids.
These drugs all contain antihistamines (such benedryl) as an active ingredient that causes drowsiness. Examples of OTC sleep aids include: Tylenol PM, Advil PM, and Unisom Sominex. Some patients report that OTC sleep aids can have undesirable side effects such as feeling very tired the next day. Both prescription and OTC sleep medications are safe to use and recommended for short-term use of insomnia.
Many cancer patients prefer to try natural options to help get some sleep. Melatonin is one of the most popular natural sleep aid. It is a relatively safe supplement that works for some people who have trouble falling asleep. Clinical studies on its effectiveness have shown mixed results. For more information on the use of melatonin, see www.sleepfoundation.org.
Valerian root is another popular supplement. However, the National Cancer Institute is conducting a clinical trial to determine whether valerian root is safe for cancer patients to use as a sleep aid.
Camomile is sold either as a tea or root extract and is safe to use. It would have a calming or relaxing. There is no clinical research that indicates an effective sleep aid. Caution should always be used with any supplement because they are not regulated by the FDA. Because supplements are not regulated, there is no process to ensure that the supplement contains the correct dose of the active ingredient. Always let your oncologist know what supplements you are taking as they may need to be discontinued before surgery or during certain treatments.
Many mesothelioma patients struggling with sleep problems during their cancer experience.
This is useful if patients can tell their health care team contributing to their sleep problems (pain, anxiety, agitation, etc.) so that the cause of problem can be solved. The good news is there are a variety of pharmaceutical, OTC and natural supplements that can help mesothelioma patients get a good night sleep, OSA.
Questions and answers online support group June
Q: My mother has already received two sessions of chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma, but she, AOS extremely tired. She, AOS sleep about 12 hours a day. Is this normal
? A: Yes, this behavior is perfectly normal. Everyone reacts differently to chemotherapy, but fatigue was the adverse effect most frequently reported. Some people become extremely tired, especially at the start of chemotherapy. The body is struggling with the treatment and the fight against cancer, which consumes a lot of energy. In addition, it could be a natural reaction of the body because during sleep our bodies do a lot of work to repair cells
Q :. Do people adapt to the effects of chemotherapy while undergoing treatment? Do the side effects diminish at all
? A: This varies from person to person. Some people experience few side effects, while others suffer harsh side effects that come after each chemotherapy session. A person, AOS overall health and strength of their immune system may have a long-last side effects impact. In addition, some chemotherapy drugs cause more side effects for longer periods of time than others. There are medicines to help with side effects, so be sure to contact your oncologist
Q :. Is there something we can do to help with the fatigue caused by chemotherapy
? A: Yes, there are several things you can do to help fatigue. Make sure you eat plenty of protein with your meals, this will help you maintain energy and help the body repair. Get at least eight hours of sleep each night can reduce fatigue during the day. Take short naps during the day can boost energy. You can ask for help with physical tasks that will help you save energy. When you feel up to it, light exercise such as walking around the block can fight against fatigue.
This material was partitioned in 2014, the online support group Mesothelioma June 11.
If you have questions Monitoring anything discussed here, you can call [[++default_phone_number]] to speak with Karen Selby, our nurse on staff. Don, AOT miss the next online support group, Wednesday, July 9 Register now!
