It's no exaggeration to say that sleep is good for your health. Sleep—provided it's of good quality—is one of the foundations of physical and mental health.
In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young for their discovery of the molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm, the body's internal biological clock. This precise system regulates sleep-wake cycles. When disrupted, sleep difficulties arise, and with them, disruptions in regenerative processes. Chronic sleep deprivation is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers. Sleep acts as a regulator of many biological processes; its absence disrupts the entire body.
Sleep, although we perceive it as rest, is a time of intense activity for the body. At the cellular level, damage is repaired and metabolic waste products are removed. Matthew Walker, in his book "Why We Sleep," describes sleep as one of the most important processes supporting brain health—it's during this time that it "cleanses" and organizes information.
During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, learns, and processes experiences. Sleep enhances concentration and decision-making, regulates emotions, and supports immunity. It also affects metabolism and appetite control. The dreaming phase of sleep helps to lessen the emotional impact of difficult experiences and promotes the integration of new information with previously stored information—which translates into creativity.
The average person sleeps approximately 229,000 hours during their lifetime. This is approximately one-third of our time and a resource worth consciously utilizing to improve the quality of our sleep.
For those undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment, the topic of sleep is particularly important. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy often disrupt circadian rhythms and reduce sleep quality. At the same time, research indicates that good sleep supports the immune system and can impact treatment effectiveness and patient quality of life. Therefore, consciously managing sleep is one of the simplest tools a patient can utilize – safely and without side effects.
Good practices to support sleep:
- Regularity is important – going to bed and getting up at regular times helps stabilize your circadian rhythm.
- The bedroom should be conducive to relaxation – silence, darkness and the absence of electronic devices make it easier to fall asleep.
- Temperature affects the quality of sleep – a cooler, airy room promotes night-time regeneration.
- Caffeine – limiting it in the second part of the day reduces the risk of problems with falling asleep.
- Alcohol – worsens the quality of sleep, especially the REM phase, which is responsible for, among other things, mental regeneration.
- A light dinner, eaten a few hours before bedtime, does not burden the digestive system.
- Evening rituals help you wind down – quiet activities like reading, breathing exercises, meditation, or mindfulness prepare your body for sleep.
- Blue light in the evening – screens (phone, computer, TV) inhibit melatonin secretion. It's best to limit exposure to them 1-2 hours before bed or use the night mode.
- Exercise during the day promotes sleep, but intense exercise late in the evening can make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Contact with sunlight strengthens the body's natural rhythm.
- It is best to limit naps to short ones and only during the day.
- A comfortable mattress and bedding made of natural materials improve sleep comfort.
Sleep is a process that determines the quality of everything we do while awake. Good sleep doesn't require major changes—often, a little regularity and mindfulness are enough to ensure that those few hours each day benefit our health.
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Book recommendation:
Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker
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Sources:
Association of habitual sleep duration and its trajectory with the risk of cancer according to sex and body mass index in a population-based cohort
https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.34951
Imbalanced sleep increases mortality risk by 14–34%: a meta-analysis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-025-01592-y
Mind-body therapies for sleep disturbance among patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229923000419?via=ihub
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Author: Joanna Niewolik
