Palliative Medicine: The Importance of Sleep, Stress, and Behavior

With the growing research that sleep habits interact with stress and health, it is now essential to understand exactly how sleep influences stress, which contributes to a person’s overall health and wellness. This is equally important for palliative medicine care. Stress has been shown to play an active role in health, while sleep has been shown to effect levels of stress. Those who are experiencing poorer sleep, also experience more stress, which potentially leads to risk of various health concerns. Therefore, it is essential to understand the interworking relationship between stress and sleep in order to effectively maximize restorative sleep for the best health outcomes. The present article examines the relationship between stress and sleep, along with extra consideration to potential factors that could be mediating the aforementioned relationship. Gaining an understanding of these relationships may assist future research and treatment developments for sleep deficiency and resulting health consequences during palliative care. Keywords: Palliative Medicine; Sleep; Stress; Behavior; Health Effects; Circadian Rhythm; Sleep Regulation; Cortisol Leve