So my mum has cancer and she is struggling really bad to sleep to the point where she is crying she can’t get comfortable or anything is there anything I can do to help her
So my mum has cancer and she is struggling really bad to sleep to the point where she is crying she can’t get comfortable or anything is there anything I can do to help her
Dear Rose26221812cafeb7
Thank you for getting in touch and welcome to the online community, I hope you find it a helpful and supportive way to communicate with others. My name is Isobel one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialist, on the Macmillan Support Line.
It sounds like your mother is very distressed by her sleep difficulties. They are unfortunately very common when someone is affected by cancer. There are many reasons for this, and they are individual to the person.
Any physical barriers to sleep should be addressed, you mention that she cannot get comfortable. Ask her about any pain she is experiencing, if pain is poorly controlled this would affect her sleep.
The first step should be encouraging her to speak to her GP, they could make a full assessment of any symptoms that may be affecting her and advise on next steps that would be appropriate.
If there are symptoms or concerns related to her cancer, she could also talk to her cancer team, she may have a clinical nurse specialist that she could talk to.
Worry and anxiety are normal reactions when diagnosed with cancer. These feelings can come and go, depending on what is happening at the time. This can affect daily life and sleep.
It is not unusual for concerns and worries to surface at night when there is no one to talk to, encouraging her to talk about how she is feeling through the day may help. It is natural for someone with cancer to have many feelings, such as fear, anger or frustration. Talking to other people may help her cope with her emotions. You can support your mum by listening and talking with her.
Setting a good bedtime routine can be helpful, as can relaxation techniques. These can take time to make any difference, however they can help over time. The Sleepio app is a 6 week programme to help with sleep, if she has access to a smart phone this may be useful.
I hope this information is helpful, and a first step to help with mum’s sleep problems.
Please know that you can contact our helpline and speak to one of our cancer information nurses if you need to discuss this in more detail. Sometimes a 2-way conversation can be very beneficial.
Best wishes,
Isobel Y, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
