0981 Sleep Practices In Pediatric Cancer—Does Sleep Hygiene Matter For Reducing Cancer Symptom Burden?

Introduction Sleep disturbances are common during pediatric cancer treatment and recent evidence suggests a correlation between sleep and symptom burden. Improving nighttime sleep may impact patients’ ability to cope with symptoms. The current study tests the interaction between sleep hygiene and sleep disturbances in predicting cancer-related symptoms to determine if the relationship between sleep and symptoms is different for patients with better sleep hygiene. Methods 102 caregivers of children with cancer (ages 5-17, M=10.12, SD=4.02; 58% female) completed parent-proxy Pediatric Sleep Practices Questionnaire (yielding routine consistency and sleep opportunity scores) and measures of cancer-related symptoms (PROMIS Sleep Disturbance, Fatigue, and Pain Interference; PedsQL—Cancer Module-Nausea subscale). The interaction between sleep disturbances and sleep hygiene (consistency, opportunity) on each symptom (pain, nausea, fatigue) were tested using PROCESS moderation. Results 81% of caregivers report that their child receives sufficient sleep but only 12% reported regular consistent sleep patterns/routines. Sleep opportunity was not related to sleep disturbances or cancer-related symptoms, but more routine consistency was related to fewer sleep disturbances (r=.30, p=.003). The interaction between sleep disturbances and routine consistency significantly predicted pain interference [R2=.16, F(3, 98)=6.37, p Conclusion The sleep/pain and sleep/nausea relationships are stronger in patients with more consistent sleep routines and the sleep/nausea relationship is also stronger in patients with sufficient/well-timed sleep opportunities. Sleep and fatigue were moderately related across all levels of both sleep hygiene components. Clinical interventions that target sleep hygiene together with sleep disturbances such as nighttime awakenings and poor sleep quality may be more effective in addressing cancer-related symptoms such as pain and nausea. Support This work was supported in part by funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI-D-17-00187; PI Christopher Forrest).