Could Lack Of Sleep Be Causing Cancer in Young People?

Key TakeawaysRates of cancer in those under the age of 50 have been rapidly rising over the past several decades, especially when it comes to cancers that affect the digestive system.Doctors and scientists are working to determine what might be causing this alarming trend, and a decline in sleep quality and duration is one possibility.While some studies have found a potential link between sleep issues and cancer, more research is needed to determine the impact.

Key Takeaways

Rates of cancer in those under the age of 50 have been rapidly rising over the past several decades, especially when it comes to cancers that affect the digestive system.Doctors and scientists are working to determine what might be causing this alarming trend, and a decline in sleep quality and duration is one possibility.While some studies have found a potential link between sleep issues and cancer, more research is needed to determine the impact.

The incidence of early-onset cancers, defined as cancers diagnosed in adults under 50 years of age, has been rapidly rising over the past several decades, according to a review of 44 countries.This is true for 14 cancer types, mostly affecting the digestive system, including:

The alarming findings have left doctors and scientists scrambling to determine why this might be happening and what can be done to fix it. One possible factor, according to preliminary research, may be a decline in sleep quality and duration among the general population.

“There are studies indicating a potential link between a disruption of our circadian rhythm–our internal body clock–and the development of cancer,” Misagh Karimi, MD, a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers atCity of Hope’s Lennar Foundation Cancer Centerin Newport Beach, California, told Verywell. “Lack of sleep is detrimental to the body, and we know that regular sleep is essential to fight infection, maintain cognitive health, and lower blood pressure.”

The existing research, however, is relatively limited and inconclusive, and Karimi said the role of sleep in cancer development is one that needs further research. Here’s what we know so far.

Young People Are Sleeping Less Than Ever

Research suggests young people may be particularly sleep-deprived. One 2015 study found that 73% of high school students across 30 states are not getting enough sleep, up from 69% in 2009.

The repercussions of poor sleep can last for years. A review article from 2017 found that poor sleep in adolescents and young adults can result in longer-term sleep problems, often impacting individuals into adulthood. In one of the studies from the review, adolescent sleep disturbances predicted adult sleep disturbances.A third of participants with sleep problems at age 16 still had problems at age 23, though only 10% did at age 42.

Does It Matter If You’re a Hot Sleeper or Cold Sleeper?

Existing Research Links Lack of Sleep to Colon Cancer

A 2011 study showed that shorter sleep, especially less than six hours per night, might increase the risk of developing colon polyps,which can turn into colon cancer. A more recent population-based nested case–control study found that the risk of colorectal cancer in patients with sleep disorders was significantly higher, and particularly pronounced among those with sleep disorders and depression.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 65 studies on sleep duration and the risk of cancer, however, found inconsistencies in the correlation. While a categorical meta-analysis indicated that short sleep duration increased cancer risk among Asian participants and long sleep duration increased the risk of colorectal cancer, these findings were not consistent in the dose–response meta-analysis, which looked at cancer risk per hour of sleep.

According toCharlie Zhong, PhD, MPH, the principal scientist of epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society, there are limitations to the studies that have seen an association with short sleep duration and colon polyps.

“These studies are unable to tell if it was short sleep leading to the polyps, or the polyps causing sleep to be disrupted,” he told Verywell.

Another limitation throws a wrench in the theory about sleep issue being linked to cancer in young people, specifically: most research applies to older adults.

“The findings published on poor sleep and cancer indicate a significant, but weak link. However, much of this research has been done in older populations,” Zhong said. “Cancer is much less common in younger populations, which makes studying such risk factors more difficult. Sleep disruption may play a role, but it can also be a sign of something else that may be contributing to cancer risk, such as the rise in obesity rates. This is why additional research is so important to better understand sleep and how it interacts with other factors in relation to cancer.”

4 Early Symptoms of Colon Cancer Young Adults Should Know

Other Health Issues Associated With Poor Sleep Health

A nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan, meanwhile, showed that the risks of liver and lung cancers were elevated among those with nonapnea sleep disorders (SDs).And a much older study found that exposure to light at night may increase the risk of breast cancer.

“Much of the research on sleep and breast cancer risk is related to shift work and factors related to disrupted sleep patterns, such as the unexpected light exposure at night,” Zhong said. “While it does appear that the light from mobile devices can disrupt sleep, these technologies, and how we use them, change so quickly that it has been difficult to study when it comes to longer-term health effects, such as cancer.”

As a result of such limited research, Karimi said there’s a wide range of views when it comes to sleep’s potential impact on cancer development. But the one thing experts agree on is that sleep disruption is a significant public health problem.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three Americans report that they get less than the recommended seven-plus hours of sleep per night.

A lack of sleep is linked to a host of chronic illnesses, includingheart disease,obesity, diabetes, anddepression.

What You Can Do

While the evidence is not yet conclusive when it comes to the impact of sleep on cancer risk for any age, getting good sleep is essential to your health.

The CDC recommends adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, quality of sleep is just as important as quantity. A good night’s sleep involves few sleep-wake disturbances.

The key to long, quality sleep, Karimi said, is making disciplined choices before going to bed, including:

If you’re struggling to sleep well, you may be wondering whether melatonin supplements might help. Zhong said that while taking the supplement can help you fall asleep, it can also disrupt the body’s natural ebb and flow of melatonin (a hormone that helps balance the circadian rhythm), which may end up leading to worse sleep. He added that not everyone responds to supplements in the same way, so you should talk to your healthcare provider before taking any new supplements, including melatonin.

How Much Melatonin Is Too Much? Your Supplement Label May Not Be Telling the Truth

What This Means For YouWhile the evidence is not yet conclusive on how much sleep might affect cancer development, it’s important to maintain good sleep habits for optimal health. That means getting at least seven hours each night, sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, exercising regularly, avoiding caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and large meals before bedtime, keeping your bedroom cool, and turning off electronics at least 30 minutes before closing your eyes for the night.

What This Means For You

While the evidence is not yet conclusive on how much sleep might affect cancer development, it’s important to maintain good sleep habits for optimal health. That means getting at least seven hours each night, sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, exercising regularly, avoiding caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and large meals before bedtime, keeping your bedroom cool, and turning off electronics at least 30 minutes before closing your eyes for the night.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ugai T, Sasamoto N, Lee HY, et al.Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022;19(10):656-673. doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00672-8Wheaton AG, Everett Jones S, Cooper AC, Croft JB.Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students — United States, 2015.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a1Dregan A, Armstrong D.Adolescence sleep disturbances as predictors of adulthood sleep disturbances–a cohort study.J Adolesc Health. 2010;46(5):482-487. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.197Thompson CL, Larkin EK, Patel S, Berger NA, Redline S, Li L.Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma.Cancer. 2011;117(4):841-847. doi:10.1002/cncr.25507Lin CL, Liu TC, Wang YN, Chung CH, Chien WC.The association between sleep disorders and the risk of colorectal cancer in patients: A population-based nested case–control study.In Vivo. 2019;33(2):573-579. doi:10.21873%2Finvivo.11513Chen Y, Tan F, Wei L, et al.Sleep duration and the risk of cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis including dose–response relationship.BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):1149. doi:10.1186/s12885-018-5025-yHu LY, Chen PM, Hu YW, et al.The risk of cancer among patients with sleep disturbance: A nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan.Ann Epidemiol.2013;23(12):757-761. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.09.002Davis S, Mirick DK, Stevens RG.Night shift work, light at night, and risk of breast cancer.JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2001;93(20):1557-1562. doi:10.1093/jnci/93.20.1557Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ugai T, Sasamoto N, Lee HY, et al.Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022;19(10):656-673. doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00672-8Wheaton AG, Everett Jones S, Cooper AC, Croft JB.Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students — United States, 2015.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a1Dregan A, Armstrong D.Adolescence sleep disturbances as predictors of adulthood sleep disturbances–a cohort study.J Adolesc Health. 2010;46(5):482-487. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.197Thompson CL, Larkin EK, Patel S, Berger NA, Redline S, Li L.Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma.Cancer. 2011;117(4):841-847. doi:10.1002/cncr.25507Lin CL, Liu TC, Wang YN, Chung CH, Chien WC.The association between sleep disorders and the risk of colorectal cancer in patients: A population-based nested case–control study.In Vivo. 2019;33(2):573-579. doi:10.21873%2Finvivo.11513Chen Y, Tan F, Wei L, et al.Sleep duration and the risk of cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis including dose–response relationship.BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):1149. doi:10.1186/s12885-018-5025-yHu LY, Chen PM, Hu YW, et al.The risk of cancer among patients with sleep disturbance: A nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan.Ann Epidemiol.2013;23(12):757-761. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.09.002Davis S, Mirick DK, Stevens RG.Night shift work, light at night, and risk of breast cancer.JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2001;93(20):1557-1562. doi:10.1093/jnci/93.20.1557Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ugai T, Sasamoto N, Lee HY, et al.Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022;19(10):656-673. doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00672-8Wheaton AG, Everett Jones S, Cooper AC, Croft JB.Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students — United States, 2015.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a1Dregan A, Armstrong D.Adolescence sleep disturbances as predictors of adulthood sleep disturbances–a cohort study.J Adolesc Health. 2010;46(5):482-487. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.197Thompson CL, Larkin EK, Patel S, Berger NA, Redline S, Li L.Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma.Cancer. 2011;117(4):841-847. doi:10.1002/cncr.25507Lin CL, Liu TC, Wang YN, Chung CH, Chien WC.The association between sleep disorders and the risk of colorectal cancer in patients: A population-based nested case–control study.In Vivo. 2019;33(2):573-579. doi:10.21873%2Finvivo.11513Chen Y, Tan F, Wei L, et al.Sleep duration and the risk of cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis including dose–response relationship.BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):1149. doi:10.1186/s12885-018-5025-yHu LY, Chen PM, Hu YW, et al.The risk of cancer among patients with sleep disturbance: A nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan.Ann Epidemiol.2013;23(12):757-761. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.09.002Davis S, Mirick DK, Stevens RG.Night shift work, light at night, and risk of breast cancer.JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2001;93(20):1557-1562. doi:10.1093/jnci/93.20.1557Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.

Ugai T, Sasamoto N, Lee HY, et al.Is early-onset cancer an emerging global epidemic? Current evidence and future implications.Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2022;19(10):656-673. doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00672-8

Wheaton AG, Everett Jones S, Cooper AC, Croft JB.Short sleep duration among middle school and high school students — United States, 2015.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018;67. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6703a1

Dregan A, Armstrong D.Adolescence sleep disturbances as predictors of adulthood sleep disturbances–a cohort study.J Adolesc Health. 2010;46(5):482-487. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.11.197

Thompson CL, Larkin EK, Patel S, Berger NA, Redline S, Li L.Short duration of sleep increases risk of colorectal adenoma.Cancer. 2011;117(4):841-847. doi:10.1002/cncr.25507

Lin CL, Liu TC, Wang YN, Chung CH, Chien WC.The association between sleep disorders and the risk of colorectal cancer in patients: A population-based nested case–control study.In Vivo. 2019;33(2):573-579. doi:10.21873%2Finvivo.11513

Chen Y, Tan F, Wei L, et al.Sleep duration and the risk of cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis including dose–response relationship.BMC Cancer. 2018;18(1):1149. doi:10.1186/s12885-018-5025-y

Hu LY, Chen PM, Hu YW, et al.The risk of cancer among patients with sleep disturbance: A nationwide retrospective study in Taiwan.Ann Epidemiol.2013;23(12):757-761. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.09.002

Davis S, Mirick DK, Stevens RG.Night shift work, light at night, and risk of breast cancer.JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2001;93(20):1557-1562. doi:10.1093/jnci/93.20.1557

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sleep and sleep disorders.

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?