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Perhaps nothing is scarier than receiving a diagnosis of cancer, even if its caught early and as a result treatable. Theories abound on techniques to stop cancer and even assist heal the body throughout treatment, from changing ones diet to managing tension and engaging in mind-body activities like meditation and deep breathing.
But what about paying attention to sleep? Have there been any connections made between sleep and cancer?
Theres no question that obtaining restful sleep is beneficial for both healthy folks and those battling cancer, but now we have evidence that persons who sleep less than six hours a night could be a lot more likely to have dangerous polyps in their colon or rectum compared to better-rested patients. The study, which was published by the journal Cancer in October, reflects the very first time anyone has ever found a link between sleep duration and risk of polyps, which are tied directly with the risk for colon cancer.
Polypsthe abnormal growths detected throughout a colonoscopycan progress to become cancerous tumors, which is exactly what occurs in about 10 percent of cases. The stats in particular:
More than 140,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and some 51,000 will die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Researchers at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland studied 1,240 men and women who came to their hospital for routine colonoscopy.
Overall, the researchers discovered polyps in 338 people, or 27 percent of the entire group.
Analyzing the sleeping patterns of the subjects, they discovered a higher rate of these polyps in people today who reported acquiring much less than six hours of sleep (29 percent) than in those that said they slept seven or far more hours nightly (22 percent).
The difference in sleep time between polyp patients and those with out the lesions was small, only 19 minutes, on average. But more polyp patients reported sleeping significantly less than six hours, while few said they slept a lot more than seven.
Dont panic: Even if this newly discovered link is causal, it doesnt necessarily mean youll get colon cancer. Put simply, the findings dont prove that lack of sleep causes these polyps to occur. The results basically indicate that men and women who dont sleep a lot at night might have the same chance for developing colorectal cancer as other high-risk groups, for instance individuals with a close relative who has been diagnosed with the disease or those with a diet high in red meat.
Its also fair to remind you that this study is just one in a slew of studies to come. What looks like an effect of sleep could in reality reflect some other factor the researchers had been unable to measure.
But I look forward to those studies. Once again, it wouldnt surprise me to read that sleep and cancer indeed share a unique relationship. Nothing could possibly be simpler than obtaining a lot more high quality Zs within the name of cancer prevention.
Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor
www.thesleepdoctor.com
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