Treatments & the effects of some medications

Several medications used to treat cancer can affect sleep. This might be in the short or longer term, but there are things that may help.  Always speak to your healthcare team before making any changes to your medication regime.

Understanding that your treatment or medication could be a cause of your sleep difficulties may help you to prepare for these and have realistic expectations that you may experience sleep disruption.  This can help to reduce worries about not sleeping. If you are unable to sleep, planning relaxing activities you can do (ideally outside of your bedroom) can be helpful.

Steroids

Steroids may be used as part of a treatment regime or to manage symptoms. They can affect the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) and interfere with the hormones that regulate sleep.

These side-effects usually disappear once you have stopped taking the steroids.

Speak to your healthcare professional about changes you might be able to make to the timing of your steroids. You need to check this first as there may be reasons that your steroids are prescribed at certain times. However you can check the following tips that may help:

• Taking steroids in the early morning (with food) may minimise night-time effects
• Where possible, take your last dose before 2pm

Hormone (endocrine) Treatments

Hormone therapies, such as those used to treat breast or prostate cancer, can upset sleep through impacting sleep-related hormones and the sleep-wake cycle.  Hormone treatments can also cause side-effects such as hot flushes or night sweats which can lead to broken sleep. There may be several strategies which may help with hot flushes and night sweats.

Other Cancer Treatments

Medications used to treat cancer including chemotherapy and treatments like radiotherapy can all impact usual sleep patterns.  The reasons for this vary with the type of treatment, but typically relate to a disruption in the sleep-wake cycle or side-effects which disturb sleep.

Always speak to your healthcare team before changing the timing or dose of any medication, or taking any herbal or supplementary remedies.