Integrative Approaches for Sleep Health in Cancer Survivors.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the evidence for the use of massage as a nonpharmacological integrative therapy to improve sleep health in cancer patients.
Results Summary
The abstract indicates that massage is still being investigated or building its evidence base for improving sleep and insomnia in cancer survivors, suggesting limited but ongoing research support.
Population
Cancer survivors in the United States.
Effective Dosage
Not available
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia | increase | sleep and insomnia | cancer patients | - | have the most evidence for improving | #1 |
mindfulness-based therapies | increase | sleep and insomnia | cancer patients | - | have the most evidence for improving | #2 |
qigong/tai chi | increase | sleep and insomnia | cancer patients | - | have the most evidence for improving | #3 |
acupuncture | increase | sleep and insomnia | cancer patients | - | have the most evidence for improving | #4 |
Sleep disturbance and insomnia are prevalent problems for the more than 15 million cancer survivors in the United States. If not addressed, poor-quality sleep can negatively impact physical and psychological recovery from cancer diagnosis and treatment. Cancer survivors are increasingly turning to integrative therapies to improve sleep and optimize their health. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence for the use of nonpharmacological integrative therapies to improve sleep health in cancer patients. Therapies are grouped into the following categories: cognitive-behavioral, meditative (e.g., mindfulness-based interventions, yoga, qigong/tai chi), and body based (e.g., acupuncture, acupressure, massage, reflexology). Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia, mindfulness-based therapies, qigong/tai chi, and acupuncture have the most evidence for improving sleep and insomnia, whereas yoga, acupressure, massage, and reflexology are still being investigated or building their evidence base. Several areas of strength are identified, gaps in the literature are highlighted, and recommendations for improving future research are provided.