Sleep Hygiene

Sleep struggles are common both during and after treatment for breast cancer, and sleep health is often overlooked as a very crucial part of your life. We know that daily exercise, a good diet, and limited alcohol consumption is good for us -- but so is knowing when to hit the off button on the TV and stop the doom-scrolling.

With help from the CDC, we suggest:

Being consistent with the same time you go to bed and wake up each morning -- yes, including weekends!
Make your bedroom as quiet, dark, and relaxing as it can possibly be.
Set your bedroom to a comfortable temperature.
Remove electronic devices from the bedroom. No phones, TV's, computers, video games, etc.
Try not to eat large meals or drink caffeine or alcohol before bed.

The sleep foundation tells us that insomnia can be characterized as the persistent difficulty to fall asleep, and they are based mostly off sleep difficulties that arise despite normal sleep opportunities and daytime impairment that is the result of poor sleep.

Chronic insomnia occurs more than 3 times per week for at least 3 months. Short term insomnia would be insomnia lasting less than 3 months. There is also sleep-onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia:

Sleep onset insomina: Pertains mostly to difficulty falling asleep. These people might have a hard time in bed winding down and relaxing, or experience problems related to jet-lag and irregular work schedules.
Sleep maintenance insomnia: Pertains to difficulty staying asleep after shutting down. This is typically found in elderly sleepers and those who consume alcohol, coffee, or tobacco before going to bed.
Mixed insomnia may involve both sleep onset and sleep maintenance difficulties.

If you think you experience insomnia, be sure to consult with your doctor. Good communication about your lifestyle can help you get a better night's rest.