Sleep Disturbance in Family Caregivers of Community-dwelling Advanced Cancer Patients

The experience of caring for a terminally ill loved one at home is reported to be stressful and tiring. The disrupted sleep family caregivers experience when providing round-the-clock care may contribute to their stress and exhaustion. Limited research has addressed sleep disturbance in family caregivers providing palliative home care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine and describe the experience of sleep disturbance in family caregivers (N=13) of advanced cancer patients living in rural and urban Manitoba. Qualitative and quantitative approaches created a rich data set from which to better understand this issue. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant utilizing a semi-structured interview guide and analyzed using content analysis. Validated self-report research instruments, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), generated quantitative scores, along with the objective measurement of caregivers' sleep/wake patterns over 72 hours via actigraphy.