Relationships Among Daytime Napping and Fatigue, Sleep Quality, and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND:: The relationships among napping and sleep quality, fatigue, and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients are not clearly understood. OBJECTIVE:: The aim of the study was to determine whether daytime napping is associated with nighttime sleep, fatigue, and QOL in cancer patients. METHODS:: In total, 187 cancer patients were recruited. Daytime napping, nighttime self-reported sleep, fatigue, and QOL were assessed using a questionnaire. Objective sleep parameters were collected using a wrist actigraph. RESULTS:: According to waking-after-sleep-onset measurements, patients who napped during the day experienced poorer nighttime sleep than did patients who did not (t = −2.44, P = .02). Daytime napping duration was significantly negatively correlated with QOL. Patients who napped after 4 PM had poorer sleep quality (t = −1.93, P = .05) and a poorer Short-Form Health Survey mental component score (t = 2.06, P = .04) than did patients who did not. Fatigue, daytime napping duration, and sleep quality were significant predictors of the mental component score and physical component score, accounting for 45.7% and 39.3% of the variance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:: Daytime napping duration was negatively associated with QOL. Napping should be avoided after 4 PM. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:: Daytime napping affects the QOL of cancer patients. Future research can determine the role of napping in the sleep hygiene of cancer patients.