Author Identifier
Date of Award
2026
Keywords
cancer, sleep health, sleep disturbances, supportive care
Document Type
Thesis - ECU Access Only
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Master of Medical and Health Science by Research
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
First Supervisor
Travis Cruickshank
Second Supervisor
Mitchell Turner
Third Supervisor
Christopher Kueh
Abstract
Sleep disturbances are common and negatively impact the wellbeing and quality of life of individuals living with cancer whilst undergoing chemotherapy. Studies have noted symptoms of insomnia, poorer sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness using traditional methodologies, including questionnaires and wearable devices. However, little is understood with respect to the overall sleep health of individuals with cancer, particularly those going through chemotherapy and whether treatment-environment interactions drive poor sleep.
‘Sleep health’ is a conceptual framework that conceptualises sleep as a multidimensional pattern of sleep–wakefulness. Key dimensions of sleep health include sleep regularity, subjective satisfaction, appropriate timing, adequate duration, high sleep efficiency and sustained daytime alertness; these dimensions can be viewed along a continuum, are strongly related with health outcomes and can be used to understand an individual's sleep, accounting for unique individual, social and environmental factors. Considering the importance of sleep health, more research is needed to characterise sleep health in individuals with cancer and its relationship with contextual factors of interest.
Alongside this gap in the literature, real-world clinical management strategies for sleep disturbances in cancer care are not well understood. Despite the existence of clinical practice guidelines for managing sleep issues in individuals living with cancer, sleep disturbances are not routinely screened or assessed within cancer care. Real-world clinical management practices also remain poorly understood, including the specific challenges and barriers to addressing sleep in this population. Taken together, these gaps highlight the need to better characterise sleep health in individuals living with cancer and evaluate real-world clinical management strategies, representing a critical priority for future research.
This thesis sought to address these gaps in the literature. Specifically, it aimed to 1) characterise multidimensional sleep health in individuals with cancer reporting sleep complaints whilst undergoing outpatient chemotherapy, with exploratory analyses of environmental factors and 2) explore clinician knowledge, understanding and clinical management practices of sleep disturbances in cancer care. Findings from this research are expected to advance understanding of sleep health in individuals living with cancer and provide insight into clinicians’ knowledge and management of sleep disturbances, informing targeted interventions and improving sleep management within cancer care.
Access Note
Access to this thesis is embargoed until 2nd July 2027
Recommended Citation
Adams, S. (2026). Multidimensional sleep health in individuals with cancer: Exploring the associations with sleep environment and clinical management strategies. Edith Cowan University. https://doi.org/10.25958/s04t-k054