Is good sleep quality important for myeloma patients? (https://www.myeloma.org/videos/good-sleep-quality-important-myeloma-patients)
Myeloma Patients May Face Various Challenges That Can Disrupt Their Sleep Patterns
In this week's "Ask Dr. Durie" myeloma expert Dr. Brian G.M. Durie discusses the various challenges that can disrupt sleep patterns, such as pain management, GI issues, and worry/anxiety about treatment and future steps.
The BOTTOM LINE: Good sleep is highly important for myeloma patients' overall health and immune system maintenance. Addressing sleep disturbances and working with healthcare professionals to manage underlying factors can greatly enhance sleep quality and well-being.
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This week's "Ask Dr. Durie" comes from a patient who has a very simple question, but an important question How important is sleep for myeloma patients or actually for anyone? And the answer to that question is extremely important. It is very, very important to get good regular sleep, to maintain your immune system, to maintain your body health.
The myeloma patient is challenged with many different issues which can disturb that healthy sleep pattern that we all need. There can be pain that needs to be managed. There can be GI issues which can be problematic. There can be a variety of things that are going on which are creating worry, anxiety, and concern. Will the treatment work? What are the next steps?
Lots of issues that need to be addressed and may be disturbing a good night's sleep. And so don't be shy about bringing this up with your doctor and with your care team and say:"I'm having trouble getting a good night's sleep." And take a look at all these different factors that may be disturbing your sleep pattern.
Think about pain, think about other issues, think about medications. Obviously, as we all know, dexamethasone, a steroid can interrupt the sleep pattern. And so talk to your doctor. Maybe reducing the doors or maybe even eliminating the dexamethasone for a period of time may be helpful in reestablishing a good sleep pattern. In addition, your doctor may prescribe a mild sedative to help establish a new sleep pattern.
And then you yourself must look closely at what are you doing throughout the day. It's good to avoid a lot of naps during the day so that you are truly ready for sleep at night. Also in the evening. It's good not to be eating very late too. Not doing. I'll be doing a lot of complicated things into the late evening.
You should be winding down steadily, trying to get a little more calm so that you are truly ready to go forward to get to bed and have a good night's sleep. And so, bottom line, do not hesitate to talk about the need for a good night's sleep with your doctor. Work through the different factors that may be important to you in your case and talk to your care team about different ways that this can be managed to really improve the situation. So very, very important question.
Dr. Brian G.M. Durie (1942-2025) was the co-founder of the IMF. He was a Professor of Medicine, Hematologist/Oncologist, and Honoree MD at the University of Brussels.