When dealing with a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma it is vital to take the best possible care of yourself. One of the ways to do that is to get enough sleep. The amount of sleep that can provide you with optimal physical health, optimum immune function, mental health, and cognition, is what you need to obtain. This is often easier to say and to intellectually know but to achieve can be challenging.

Sleep is a basic need of the body for physical and psychological well-being. The importance of sleep for best health cannot be underestimated. Sleep is something that has been undervalued by many of us. The amount of sleep we need varies with age. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults age 18-64 should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep a night. Age 65 years and older 7 to 8 hours are recommended. Infants and younger people require more sleep. Over time not sleeping, called short sleep deprivation, can lead to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, and all-cause mortality. The immediate effects of not getting enough sleep are irritability, negativity, bad mood, inability to concentrate, short term memory loss, apathy, poor communication and questionable decision making.

Sleep and its effect on the human body is studied by sleep doctors. These specialized experts are called somnologist- from the word “somnus” meaning sleep. These physicians have additional training in the science of sleep medicine and are board certified by the American College of Sleep Medicine. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, is dedicated to achieving optimum health through advancing the field of sleep medicine at the state and local levels.

There have been many studies conducted regarding sleep and its effects. In our culture often people admire someone who claims to get only 4 hours of sleep a night. In one study nearly 30% of adults in the United States reported that they sleep 6 or fewer hours a week.

Research has shown that long-term sleep disruptions may raise the risk of diagnosis of certain types of cancer. The findings that lack of sleep increases inflammation and disrupts normal immune function. Involved in the sleep cycle is a hormone called melatonin, which we produce with sleep, this hormone is thought to have antioxidant properties that help prevent cellular damage.

March 11-17 is Sleep Awareness Week. “Begin with Sleep” (#YourDayBeginsWithSleep), the focus of this week is to educate people about the importance of good sleep health for individuals to best achieve their personal, family, and professional goals. The week is sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to improving health and well being through sleep education and advocacy.

Being diagnosed with cancer can lead to sleepless nights. In the middle of the night unable to sleep our darkest fears can seem to be reality. It is important when this happens that we realize that what we think at 4 a.m. is often shrouded in lack of sleep, and a negative hopeless frame of mind. It is important for all of us to take care of ourselves and get enough sleep for our physical and emotional well-being.

“The best bridge between despair and hope is getting a good night’s sleep.” – E. Joseph Cossman