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Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and treatment can cause problems with your normal sleeping patterns.

The information on this page will help you find ways to improve your sleep if it has been affected by cancer, and how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ can help.

How sleep can be affected by cancer and treatment

Sleep provides rest and recovery which is important for both our physical and emotional wellbeing.

Sleeplessness, sometimes called insomnia, can mean you:

• find it difficult to fall asleep
• wake up several times during the night
• wake up very early and can't get back to sleep

Whilst the occasional lost night’s sleep feels manageable, ongoing sleeplessness can affect your quality of life and can lead to fatigue, anxiety, depression and poor concentration. 

You may feel that it’s normal not to be sleeping well and be trying to put up with it, but you should let your doctor know as there are ways to manage it.

Causes of sleep disturbances

Sleep disturbances when you have cancer are very common. They can also be complicated and it may be a combination of issues that are causing you to have difficulty sleeping.

Causes of a broken night’s sleep include:

• the cancer itself
• side effects of treatment, such as pain
• anxiety
• drugs and medication
• hormones
• other medical conditions
• your sleeping environment

You may also have a history of sleep problems that began before you were diagnosed with cancer.

Managing sleeplessness

It may feel like making sleep better is out of your control, or it may feel like an additional burden on top of everything else you're facing. However, there are ways to make things easier.

Talk to your healthcare team

Problems with sleep are often physical, which your healthcare team can help with, so it's important to let them know.

Certain drugs like steroids, as well as being in pain, feeling sick or needing to the get up and use the toilet are common issues that can affect sleep. 

Your doctor may be able to review your medication and how your symptoms are managed to improve your sleep.

Create the best environment for sleep

Making changes to your sleeping environment can help to re-establish natural rhythms alongside changes to drug regimes. 

There are several things you can try to help create the right environment for sleep:

• have a warm bath before bed, which both helps you relax and signals to your body that it is time to sleep by mimicking the night-time drop in temperature
• avoid caffeine and alcohol too close to bedtime
• go to bed when you're sleepy. If after 20 minutes you’re still not asleep, you could get up again, and try again later
• use blinds and curtains to make your room dark, or try an eye mask
• avoid looking at screens at bedtime, and if possible, remove devices like phones, tablets and computers from the bedroom
• have a notepad by your bed to write down troublesome thoughts to free your mind
• reduce the effect of noise, for example, by wearing ear plugs. You could consider temporary changes to sleeping arrangements if noise from partners, housemates, children or pets is an issue
  
• eat a snack before bed that contains some protein and a more complex carbohydrate, for example, oatcakes with nut butter or a slice of toast with hummus
• get some fresh air during the daytime to help re-establish natural body rhythms and encourage sleep
• take part in gentle exercise or physical activity during the day
  

Reducing stress and anxiety

There is a close relationship between sleep and how you're feeling. One can often affect the other.

Learning different ways to manage your emotions and reduce your stress can help to improve your sleep pattern.

Breathing and relaxation techniques can also help ease the body and body into sleep.

Sleeping medication

Your doctor may prescribe a short course of sleeping tablets to re-establish a normal sleeping pattern.

You can also buy over the counter remedies to help with sleep, but check with your GP or pharmacist if you're on any other medications which they might interfere with.

How Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ can help

We're here to help you with your sleep.

• Get in touch with us at your nearest Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ to talk things over with a cancer support specialist and find out more about ways to manage sleep issues.
• We also run relaxation sessions and some of our centres run sleep workshops.
• Our benefits advisors are here to talk through any money worries that may be adding to your sleeplessness.

Last review: May 2026 | Next review: May 2029