By Lillie Shockney, R.N., M.A.S.
Dec 01, 2012
You want to sleep but can’t. You’re worrying about your upcoming breast cancer treatments—the surgery, chemo, radiation, etc.
Unfortunately, while you worry away the wee hours, the cancer cells within your body are taking advantage of your inability to sleep. How? Because researchers have found that one byproduct of a lack of sleep is a more aggressive cancer cell.
This study, conducted at Case Western University, is published in the August 2012 issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. The research demonstrated that an association exists between insufficient sleep and biologically more aggressive tumors.
These scientists also have shown that those of us who toss and turn generally—or who simply are burning the candle at both ends—are also more likely to have a higher incidence of cancer.
So if you’re a night owl, start being kinder to yourself. The dishwasher doesn’t have to be emptied tonight, or the clothes washed right now; perhaps you need to rethink your agenda, or recruit some help so that you don’t get worn down to a frazzle. Try taking a bit better care of you. And get some sleep.
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