The Vicious Cycle: Stress and Sleep in Cancer Patients

Cancer is a debilitating disease that profoundly affects both the physical and emotional well-being of patients. The intricacies of cancer treatment, the associated costs, potential side effects, and often uncertain prospects of recovery collectively make cancer one of the most dreaded ailments. Consequently, individuals diagnosed with cancer often experience an overwhelming amount of stress and anxiety. This heightened level of stress commonly leads to disruptions in sleeping patterns for individuals grappling with a cancer diagnosis. Quality sleep plays a vital role in aiding individuals to combat diseases of varying severity. During the sleep cycle, the body undergoes essential repairs and healing processes, contributing to overall well-being and recovery from illnesses. The aim of the present study is to examine the relation between stress and sleep problems in individuals diagnosed with cancer.

A total of 1203 cancer patients, comprising 678 females and 525 males undergoing treatment at private cancer hospitals in Haryana and Punjab (India), participated in this study. Participants completed surveys that evaluated their stress levels, physical discomfort, feelings of hopelessness, and sleep-related issues.

The findings of the study exhibited that stress had a significant positive impact on both physical/bodily pains (β = 0.743, p < 0.001) and hopelessness Behaviour (β = 0.678, p < 0.001). This implies that cancer patients experiencing higher stress levels were more likely to report increased levels of physical pain and feelings of hopelessness. Also, both physical/bodily pains (β = 0.267, p < 0.001) and hopelessness Behaviour (β = 0.450, p < 0.002) had significant positive impacts on sleep problems. Procrastination Behaviour significantly moderated the relationship between physical/bodily pains and sleep problems (β = 0.435, p < 0.001). Procrastination Behaviour also significantly moderated the relationship between hopelessness Behaviour and sleep problems (β = 0.473, p < 0.001).

The findings show that procrastination plays a moderating role in connection to stress, pain, and sleep problems. This suggests that the link between stress and sleep issues was more pronounced in cancer patients who reported higher levels of procrastination, indicating that procrastination might exacerbate the adverse effects of stress on sleep.