Saed News: New research suggests that insomnia may play a role in the increasing rates of cancer among people under the age of 50.
According to SAEDNEWS, doctors and scientists are trying to determine what is driving the rise in cancer cases among people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Since 1995, the incidence of cancer in these age groups has increased by 24 percent worldwide.
According to The Sun, one of the latest studies on the subject analyzed nearly 18.9 million people and found that poor sleepers were more likely to develop early-stage breast, colorectal, uterine, or ovarian cancers.
Researchers found that women suffering from insomnia were three times more likely to develop breast cancer within the following five years compared to women without sleep problems. Their risk of uterine cancer was twice as high, while the risk of ovarian cancer was 60 percent higher. For both men and women, the average risk of early-stage colorectal cancer was 85 percent higher.
Dr. Shahrouz Nasseri, an anesthesiologist and sleep disorder specialist, told Hamshahri that sleep disorders can increase the risk of cancer. For example, people who work night shifts, such as pilots, doctors, and nurses, face a higher risk of developing rectal cancer, which affects the lower part of the digestive tract.
He stated that the likelihood of cancer is approximately 60 percent higher among people with poor sleep habits. According to him, because the body's immune system is strengthened during sleep, any sleep disorder that reduces deep sleep can increase cancer risk. For example, women with sleep disorders may face a higher risk of breast cancer.
The specialist emphasized that insomnia is not the only sleep-related problem that increases cancer risk. Other sleep disorders can also be harmful.
He explained that people with sleep-related breathing disorders are also at risk. During snoring episodes, breathing interruptions caused by reduced oxygen levels can occur. These interruptions briefly awaken the brain so that throat muscles tighten, breathing resumes, and oxygen levels rise again. Although individuals may believe they have been sleeping continuously, these repeated disruptions prevent restorative sleep and can weaken the immune system.
According to Dr. Nasseri, when a person is unable to enter deep sleep, the immune system becomes less effective, increasing the risk of cancer.
Regarding the increased risk of breast cancer in women, he explained that the risk is higher among women who have worked night shifts for more than 15 years. Immune cells regenerate during sleep and complete relaxation. When a person remains awake or fails to reach deep sleep, the body perceives danger due to the presence of adrenaline, causing immune function to become a lower priority.
Dr. Nasseri stressed that if chronic insomnia begins during adolescence and continues for many years, it may contribute to the development of cancer at a younger age.
