Relation between Objective Sleep Measures of Nighttime and Daytime Sleep in Leukemia Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate objective measures of sleep in leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy and to determine the relationship between nighttime and daytime objective sleep measures.

Methods: The study participants were nine leukemia patients hospitalized for chemotherapy (five males, four females), with a mean age of 63.7 ± 9.2 (47–76) years. They were evaluated with objective nighttime sleep variables and the sum of daytime sleep (nap) for 16 days after the start of chemotherapy administration by a small 3-axis accelerometer.

Result: The mean ± SD of each nighttime sleep valuable and nap was 385.5 ± 65.8 minutes total sleep time, 10.6 ± 5.3 minutes onset latency, 76.9 ± 40.3 minutes mid-awake time, 8.2 ± 3.7 awakenings, 80.3 ± 9.7% sleep efficiency, and 379.3 ± 163.2 minutes nap. A positive and significant correlation was found between nap during the day and total sleep time, and nap during the day and sleep efficiency.

Discussion: Although leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy experienced an average nap of more than six hours per day, the relationship between nap and sleep efficiency suggests that daytime sleep may not always negatively affect nighttime sleep.