Sleep Unplugged with Dr. Chris Winter

#136 - Cancer and Sleep: Gotta Be Strong to Fight Them

Chris Winter

When we think about the deleterious effects of poor sleep, cardiovascular and cognitive/psychological consequences typically come first to mind. One of the less obvious and less understood effects is that of cancer which was listed as a probably carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2007. Since that time, there has been considerable efforts to understand the role plays in cancer. In this episode we will:

  • Evaluate the original research looking at sleep and cancer risk
  • List the cancer types commonly associated with poor/inadequate sleep
  • Highlight studies that cast doubt on this relationship
  • Review factors related to sleep and shift work that might influence risk
  • Speculate on possible mechanisms that lead to carcinogenicity
  • Touch upon steps one can take to lessen cancer risk associated with poor sleep

Produced by: Maeve Winter

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Thanks for listening and sleep well!

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