A cross-sectional analysis of the association between sleep disorders and cancer using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2014.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Cancer is one of the main causes of death in the world, while sleep disorders are a serious public health problem, especially in large cities, insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being the most common. In the last decade, studies have pointed to a possible association between sleep disorders and cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there is any association between sleep disorders and cancer diagnosis.

METHODS: Five National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (2005-2014) from the United States were combined in order to obtain the sample. Two main sleep variables were assessed: having trouble sleeping and/or ever telling a doctor you had a sleep problem. The odds ratio of ever having a cancer diagnosis was the main outcome. Data was analyzed by binary logistic regression models in Jamovi.

RESULTS: The final sample comprised 26,821 participants. Individuals who reported having trouble sleeping had an odds ratio (OR)=1.48 (95% CI=[1.336-1.646]; p<0.001) of having been diagnosed with cancer, and those who had already been diagnosed with a sleep disorder presented an OR=1.21 (95% CI=[1.046-1.415]; p=0.011), showing an increased chance of having been diagnosed with cancer. In men, these values were even greater, presenting an OR=1.56 (95% CI=[1.321-1.843]; p<0.001) and an OR=1.26 (95% CI=[1.013-1.582]; p=0.037), respectively, for having trouble sleeping and for having been diagnosed with a sleep disorders, in relation to having been diagnosed with cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who had trouble sleeping or who had been diagnosed with a sleep disorder at any time in their life were more likely to have been diagnosed with cancer.