Despite considerable interest in the holistic recognition and treatment of human beings, many areas of health and its pathology remain overlooked in individual medical disciplines. These include circadian rhythms and wakefulness, including sleep and its disorders. Sleep is a basic human need, right next to it - breathing, eating, drinking, shelter, warmth and sex. Its biological function is associated with the main processes of regeneration, energy-saving and survival. It has a significant impact on the course of life functions, such as the development of nerve cells, learning mechanisms, memory, emotional regulation, cardiovascular function, metabolism and in the process of removing cellular toxins. Good sleep - in quantitative and qualitative terms, is a key element of good physical, mental and sexual health, and is also important for improving the overall quality of life. Despite the great interest in the right way of caring for health and well-being, knowledge about promoting health in the field of good sleep is still insufficient. There is a need to create an educational base for medical staff dealing with sleep dysfunctions and disorders, especially in patients affected by cancer. Often, oncology is referred to as "internal medicine with cancers", which mainly focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and it would be worth paying attention to the aspect of supportive treatment and support for oncological patients by improving the patient's other life needs, including sleep. Oncologist's cooperation with specialists dealing with sleep disorders and circadian rhythms seems to be a necessary element of the holistic treatment of patients.
Keywords: oncology; pharmacotherapy; psycho-oncology; psychotherapy; sleep; sleep disorders.
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