Sleeping Properly Can Help Prevent Cancer
When our sleep patterns or lightness and darkness cues are severely disrupted - as can happen with night shift work, travel across multiple time zones, sleep disorders or exposure to light during our normal sleeping hours - we can develop what is referred to as “circadian disruption.” Circadian disruption can harm biologic systems that help prevent cancer. For example, in addition to promoting sleep, melatonin can also stop tumor growth and protect against the spread of cancer cells.
