Under normal circumstances, it does not take much to get rid of this amount, timing and quality of sleep.
work stressors, relationship problems and financial problems can lead to poor sleep. Diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma introduced many other factors that can have a negative impact on the quantity and quality of our sleep :. uncontrolled pain, nausea, anxiety, hormonal fluctuations, urinary frequency, diarrhea and changes in work schedules or treatment
People with mesothelioma complain about a wide range of sleep problems, sleep too much sleep at the wrong time, or not being able to sleep for more than two hours at a time.
There are many things that your health care provider can do to help with sleep problems. Say ?? Doc, I do not sleep! ?? does not give you enough information health care provider to help you, so they need detailed information about your sleep patterns.
Anti-anxiety and sleep medications can help
Keep track for about a week when and where you sleep, how long you sleep at a stretch, what keeps you up at night and you wake up too early. With this information, your doctor can determine the cause of your sleep problems and offer solutions.
The medical issues that can affect your sleep are nausea, pain and steroid use. Tell your doctor if you think that these factors affect your sleep.
Sleep is when our body heals surgical treatments, chemotherapy and radiation. Doctors often prescribe patients with mesothelioma anti-anxiety or sleep medication after treatment. Short-term use of these drugs is safe and useful. Long-term sleep problems can be more than just an annoyance. They can actually affect our ability to fight against cancer and heal from the surgery.
For people who do not want to or can not use anti-anxiety or sleep medication, there are herbal supplements that have shown promise, helping some patients sleep. These supplements include valerian, kava, melatonin and chamomile teas. Please check with your doctor to ensure that these supplements are safe to use with all other medications. Herbal supplements can interact with prescription drugs.
Using cognitive strategies and Behavioral Sleep
Some cancer patients may benefit from some cognitive and behavioral advice, including slight changes in the environment in which they sleep, intake nutrients and adding soothing music to their routine
- sleep Environment :. as a society, we have made too much technology and artificial light in our rooms, and it has been proven to negatively affect our sleep habits. For those of us who are parents, we can remember how we created a cool, dark, quiet and without stimulation in the room for our child to help our young children sleep. We must do the same in our own rooms. Ideally, rooms should not have TVs, phones, computers, video games or too much light, as these things keep us too ?? stimulated ?? sleep
- stimulants and depressants. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, heavy meals and aerobic exercise at least 3-4 hours before bedtime. Coffee can reduce the quality of sleep; alcohol can induce sleep, but it also reduces the quality of sleep; and while eating too much could make you drowsy, sleep with a full stomach can induce indigestion. Exercise releases endorphins that stimulate the body, keeping you awake
- Music :. Soft, relaxing music helps some people drift into sleep. Music can cover the background. Soothing music has been shown to slow our brainwaves to the point of falling asleep.
The bottom line is that sleep problems are very common when someone is fighting against mesothelioma, but they are not incurable.
Reach out to your doctor, make small changes to your resting habits or taking sleeping pills may help you sleep better.
