{"id":348,"date":"2025-05-21T17:52:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T16:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/doze\/?p=348"},"modified":"2025-06-06T14:45:32","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T13:45:32","slug":"sleeping-as-a-cancer-patient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jusmedia.co.uk\/doze\/2025\/05\/21\/sleeping-as-a-cancer-patient\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleeping as a cancer patient"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is sleeping like for someone diagnosed with cancer? How might the physical and mental impact interfere with the quality of sleep?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a disease that has such a big impact on the day-to-day well-being of those diagnosed with it, it would be assumed that it also impacts the sleep of its patients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabita Sandhu, aged 51, is a former cancer patient in London, England. In 2018, she was diagnosed with Triple-negative breast cancer, a very aggressive type of cancer. It was tough for her and her family to process and accept, and it required Mrs Sandhu to undergo chemotherapy. This had a heavy impact not only on her physical well-being but also on her mental well-being. In particular, sleeping was something that Mrs Sandhu found a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first couple nights after my diagnosis I didn\u2019t sleep at all. All that was on my mind was what I would go through for the next few months and how it would affect me. You know you have the obvious fears and worries, and those were definitely present. When someone tells you that you\u2019ve got cancer there\u2019s one thing that your mind jumps to: \u2018Am I going to survive this?\u2019. It is natural to think that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t accepted my situation yet and was somewhat feeling sorry for myself. I was thinking all sorts of negative thoughts about the situation and they just kept spiralling. I remember having to get out of bed because it was so intense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs Sandhu underwent chemotherapy and instantly noticed side effects that took a toll on her physical state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember feeling nauseous on the first day. It wasn\u2019t like normal. I had aches and pains in my body. It added to what I was initially feeling, all the negative thoughts and worries at night about the situation. It almost fed them more. I knew I would experience these, I was aware of everything that was taking place. I just couldn\u2019t feel positive about it. Chemotherapy is the way of treating the cancer but it feels like it does the opposite it makes you weaker. I would lie in bed and would have to lie in a certain position because my body was in pain. My head was spinning and I was restless. I was tired and exhausted but restless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was nauseous and would throw up a lot. I would sleep with a bucket on the side of my bed because I was so sure that I was going to throw up. It kept me up because it is so difficult to sleep when you feel that way, not to mention the throat pains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often steroids are taken as part of a patient’s cancer treatment. These can disrupt the sleep of those taking them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was given steroid tablets that I had to take in order to manage my cancer. I didn\u2019t know anything about how these affected you prior to taking them. These impacted my sleep the most. It isn\u2019t the same as how chemotherapy affects it because that is more physical and also it was a mental thing with me. I was tired however, I wanted to sleep and I could eventually fall asleep once I had got into the right position, nausea had worn off and my mind was relaxed. However, it is as if the steroids I took wiped that away. I wasn\u2019t even tired. I would just lie in bed awake with all those other feelings that I had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On rare occasions, Mrs Sandhu would have to spend the night in the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere were times I had to stay overnight in hospital. I had low red blood cells that required me to have a blood transfusion. This was one time. I was in this room, just me because I had to be in isolation due to my immunity being low and I was very high risk of infection. I couldn\u2019t sleep in that situation, I don\u2019t know if anyone would be able to. I was away from my husband and kids and just in this room. I remember one time I couldn\u2019t swallow and again I was required to stay the night in hospital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would just stare at the ceiling, I had to lie flat on my back which was another reason I couldn\u2019t sleep. I was uncomfortable. I was in a lot of pain. I was in a random room in a hospital because I couldn\u2019t swallow and I was at risk of infection. All of those factors combined made it nearly impossible to get a good night\u2019s sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more sleep quarrels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n