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. 2019 Jul;19(4):302-305.
doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.19-4-302.

Sleep problems in advanced disease

Andrew Davies  1
Affiliations

Sleep problems in advanced disease

Andrew Davies. Clin Med (Lond). 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Sleep problems are relatively common in patients with advanced disease, and are associated with significant morbidity in these groups of patients. The focus of this article is sleep problems in patients with advanced cancer, and specifically insomnia, 'vivid' dreams and nightmares. However, other sleep problems are also relatively common in this group of patients, including sleep-related breathing disorders and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders. Healthcare professionals should screen all patients with advanced diseases for sleep problems and, equally, initiate appropriate (evidence-based) interventions when they are discovered.

Keywords: Palliative care; insomnia; nightmares; sleep disturbance; vivid dreams.

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