Study suggests good sleep helps cancer recovery Sleeping well may help people fight cancer, US scientists said here on Friday. A research team, led by Stanford University professor David Spiegel, presented the finding here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The study suggested that restless nights may disrupt hormone balances and make the body more vulnerable to diseases. One is cortisol, which helps to regulate immune system activity -- including the release of certain "natural killer" cells that help the body battle cancer. Cortisol levels typically peak at dawn, after hours of sleep, and decline throughout the day. The new study shows that how well you sleep may determine how well your body fights cancer -- and may help explain how mental well-being plays into cancer recovery and progression. Previous studies have shown that cancer patients who have group therapy or a strong social network fare better than those who do not. According to the new study, this could be because people with stronger social support sleep more soundly, causing less disruption to the body's hormone balances. "Psychosocial factors affect your behavior patterns, such as exercise, what you eat and drink, and your sleep," Spiegel said. Provided by Xinhua News Agency on 2/14/2004 Thanks to healthy.net Nature, 1/04 Abstract # 7269 ASCO, 2004 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.