Sleep

Getting periods of good quality sleep is important for physical and psychological wellbeing, particularly if you are receiving cancer treatment. If you have trouble sleeping at night it may help to change a few things about when and where you sleep. It is important to establish a routine in the evenings to help you relax for bedtime. Be patient with any changes you do make as it may take a couple of weeks to get back into a good sleep routine. If you find that you just can’t fall asleep or seem unable to get a good night’s sleep, try to stay in bed and relax as having uninterrupted rest is also important.

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe what you can do to help you get a good quality night’s sleep.

You could try:

Getting up and going to bed at the same time every day.

Carrying out distraction activities through the day to prevent daytime sleepiness.

If you have to sleep in the day, limit naps to less than 1 hour and set an alarm for 30-40 minutes.

At night, keep the room dark and quiet to aid sleep – consider using ear plugs and/or an eye mask.

Keep your hands and feet warm.

Have a warm bath or massage before going to bed.

Have a warm milky drink or herbal tea before bed.

Eat a light high protein snack an hour before bed (such as cottage cheese, peanut butter on toast, granola, yoghurt or a handful of nuts).

Make sure your bowel and bladder are empty when you go to bed.

If you and your partner find that you disturb one another during the night, try sleeping in different beds for some of the time during treatment.

Try to avoid:

Exercising at night.

Stimulating TV, music or computer time or having excited or important conversations just before going to bed.

Having alcoholic drinks or drinks with caffeine in them such as coffee, tea or cola 4-6 hours before going to bed.

Smoking before going to bed. If you are using nicotine patches or chewing gum, these can also affect your sleep.

Being hungry or too full before going to bed.

Taking extended daytime naps.

Sleeping in the following day, even if you have not had a good night’s sleep.

Forcing yourself to go to bed.

Create a Relaxing Environment

Your bedroom should be somewhere you can feel relaxed. Here are some tips for creating a good environment for sleeping:

Make sure the room is quiet and relaxed. If there is noise you can’t control, try using earplugs or if you don’t like wearing earplugs, try having a small electrical fan in the room switched on. Some people find concentrating on the constant, calming sound from the fan (the ‘white noise’) can help them to block out other annoying or distracting noises.

Make sure the room is a comfortable temperature and is not too warm or too cold.

Make sure the room is dark.

Make sure your bed is comfortable and your bedding is clean and dry.

Keep your bedroom for sleeping and sexual activity only. If you have a TV in your bedroom, try not to watch TV or use your phone an hour before you settle down to go to sleep.

If you can’t sleep right away or if you wake up a few hours after going to bed, try not to lie in bed worrying about it. Instead, you could use a kindle, radio or an audio book to distract you and that you can use in bed. Or get up and watch TV or read a book until you feel tired again, and then go back to bed.

Avoid checking the clock during the night as this can make you feel more stressed. It may help to remove clocks from the room altogether.

If you have a partner, are they disturbing your sleep? If they are snoring or move around a lot during the night, you may need to address this. Wearing earplugs and an eye mask may help.

Disclaimer: On this website you will find advice to help you manage some of the more common but milder symptoms and side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. Please ONLY use this advice if you are currently participating in the eRAPID Lung research project, otherwise you must follow the advice given to you by your medical team. Clicking on the links in the menu will take you to advice on looking after yourself during and after cancer treatment. If after following the advice you don’t feel your symptoms are being successfully managed or relieved, you should contact your Clinical Nurse Specialist Team.

Email: Leedsth-tr.lungcancernurses@nhs.net

Telephone: 0113 2067916