Sleep definitely affects your health. Late nights, less sleep or poor sleep increase your cancer risk. Getting good enough sleep allows your body and brain time to rest and recover. While you are sleeping, your body uses less energy, restores energy and repairs itself. During sleep, our body and brain activity decrease which lowers blood pressure and controls body temperature; other activity increases during sleep such as the production of hormones needed for growth, development and repair.
In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr. Sarika Bansal Consultant Medical Oncology, Fortis Greater Noida explained the role of sleep in cancer. She said a definite answer is not yet known but researchers of the American Cancer Society show a few key findings.
Important Findings-
Short Sleep (less than 6 hours) does not allow the body time to recover and rest, this might increase the abnormal cell growth that could lead to cancer and a high risk of breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer.
Long Sleep (more than 9 hours) increases the risk of colorectal and lung cancer. Shift Work: Common in certain kinds of job profiles, students routine. Shift work may involve varying work hours switching shifts every hour, week and day. It can lead to an increased risk of cancer because of less melatonin secretion hormone made by the brain that helps get your body ready for sleep and also affects other important hormones like cortisol and oestrogen.
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Sleep apnoea, short pauses in your breathing (i.e., sleep apnoea) causes an increased risk of cancer. It may be moderate or severe and these apnoeas lead to an increased risk of cancer. The reason is the body gets stressed and the lungs get less oxygen, leading to abnormal cell growth in the body, leading to cancer.
According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, a study done on patients with heart disease, stroke and diabetes over three decades found there is a 3 times increased risk of cancer death' because of improper sleep and fewer sleep hours.
How can we improve our sleep and decrease the risk of cancer?
1. Maintain proper sleep hygiene prior to sleep. Making sure that lights, noise, temperature and location are comfortable is the key to a good bedtime routine.
2. What you eat/drink in a few hours before going to bed.
3. Stay active during the daytime and avoid napping.
4. Consult with healthcare/doctor for any sleep disturbance.
5. Screening tests for colon cancer, breast cancer (mammography), prostate cancer, and lung cancer are to be done if you are at risk.
6. Adding relaxation techniques to your sleep routine.
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