As we enter the final few days of October, I want to take a moment to talk about a very important issue:
Breast Cancer.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time where all kinds of people and brands give back and fundraise for breast cancer awareness, education and prevention. Kelly Murray Sleep Cares about this issue, and that’s why I want to talk to you about the important connection between Breast Cancer and Sleep. If sharing this knowledge may lead to prevention and early detection, then it’s one way I can help to find a cure.
Why Breast Cancer?
With so many forms of cancer out there, why is it important to dedicate an entire month to breast cancer?
Well, because the facts and statistics about this disease are alarming, and we now know that there are proven measures we can take to prevent it from happening.
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women in the world. It is also the leading cause of cancer mortality among women. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Take a moment to think about 7 women you hold dear to you in your life. Now consider that one of you will be diagnosed with breast cancer. I don’t mean to alarm you, I just want to point out the reality of this disease.
The good news is that, when breast cancer is detected early in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98%. And there’s a lot we can do to ensure we detect it early!
Make sure you are up-to-date on your doctor’s exams and double-check your breasts each month for irregularities or lumps. The Keep A Breast Foundation provides a great guide for Early Detection. They even have an app that guides you through the checking process.
The Connection Between Sleep and Breast Cancer
Research shows that disruptions in the body’s biological clock, which controls sleep, can increase the risk of certain cancers including breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, and prostate cancer. The cause? Lack of melatonin.
As you have heard me say many times, melatonin is the “sleepy hormone”, and it is absolutely critical for healthy sleep. The reason why is because it regulates our circadian rhythm, which is the “tick-tock” to the body’s biological clock.
One important thing: Melatonin is only produced in darkness. So if you’re constantly exposed to light, whether it’s from working late hours, or spending a ton of time in front of screens (“yes, Netflix, we are still watching…”), then your melatonin levels are going to be off; which means your circadian rhythm will be off; which means your biological clock will be off; you get the point...
In women, the body responds to this melatonin suppression by releasing estrogen from the ovaries when it normally wouldn’t — and an inconsistent release of hormones can increase cancer risk.
A long-term, large-scale study conducted in Singapore of 33,528 women showed that breast cancer risk decreased with increased sleep duration. Melatonin levels were 42% higher in the women who got 9+ hours of sleep versus those with 6 hours of sleep or less.
But research also shows that sleeping too long can be a risk factor for breast cancer, as well. Sleeping for long periods of time is often caused by poor sleep quality which, again, affects our biological clock. Waking up more than twice a night is associated with a 21% increase in breast cancer.
The most consistent thing across the board? Getting a normal amount of sleep (~7 hours), plus good quality sleep and good sleep hygiene, proves to be the most optimal for breast cancer prevention.
How to Improve Your Sleep
Take a look at my list of 10 Simple Ways to Make Sleep a Priority, as well as 5 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Cortisol to Improve Sleep. If you commit to these steps, you will see an improvement in your sleep. And by improving your sleep, you will decrease your risk of breast cancer, as well as improve your life.
With this growing body of evidence proving more and more that our sleep affects our risk of breast cancer, I can’t stress enough the importance of getting a good night’s rest.
I have tons of tips and tricks to help you get back to sleep on my blog. By giving your resting space some extra attention, giving your body and mind a little extra TLC, and taking steps to schedule sleep into your life, you can make long-lasting changes to your sleep that will drastically improve your life.
All Of That Being Said…
I know that sometimes you can try every tip and trick in the book and it still doesn’t work.
This is where I come in.
There’s most likely something else at play and I can help you identify what the root cause(s) may be.
If this sounds like you, please don’t delay. Your health is too important. Schedule a complimentary 30-minute call with me and we’ll talk about what’s going on.
Let’s change these statistics — with one better night’s sleep at a time.
If you’d like more tips, you can read more articles on improving your sleep in my sleep blog. I have a ton of great resources.
And when you’re ready to invite me in to work with you one-on-one, I would love to help. You can schedule your free discovery call right here →
My mission is to help you get the rest you deserve to be your best.
Sweet Dreams…
Kelly Murray is a certified sleep coach and an award-winning pediatric sleep consultant based in Chicago offering sleep coaching services nationwide.