Automated Sleep Program Helps People with Cancer Manage Insomnia

Research presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting highlighted how using an automated program improved sleep for people with insomnia. 

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, or feel rested during the day. Insomnia can be acute or chronic. Acute means it lasts for a short time. Chronic insomnia is a long-term issue.  

More than 2 in 10 people with cancer experience disruptive insomnia. 

Typical symptoms associated with insomnia include:

• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up frequently during the night 
• Feeling groggy and tired throughout the day
• Difficulty with concentration and memory 
• Mood swings

Cancer and insomnia

More than 2 in 10 people with cancer experience disruptive insomnia. And other sleep problems are common. Some treatments may make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep. Others can make symptoms like pain, fatigue, or inflammation worse, leading to sleep disruptions. It’s important to talk with your care team about your sleep habits. They can help you find ways to get better sleep during treatment.

Using an automated program to support patients

There are two challenges for treating insomnia affecting people with cancer. First, it can be hard to identify patients who are experiencing sleep problems. People may not realize that their care team can help and don’t share their sleep problems. Second, not every care center has specialized sleep care. To solve these problems, researchers tested both a way to find people with cancer experiencing sleep problems and tested a way to share solutions.

Researchers created an automated program that used electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) and electronic health record (EHR) data to identify people with cancer who may be experiencing symptoms of insomnia. Patients then completed a symptom assessment that included questions about how much sleep problems affect their daily lives. 

People with higher insomnia scores received an educational video. The video shared evidence-based tools to improve sleep. Researchers looked at patient engagement with the video, then compared insomnia symptoms about 60 days later among patients who completed assessments. 

Insomnia symptoms decreased

Overall, insomnia scores improved among participants. While 48% reported no change and 9% reported that their symptoms got worse, many patients had their symptoms improve.

• The percentage of patients reporting severe or very severe insomnia decreased from 41% to 30%. 
• The percentage reporting that insomnia significantly interfered with daily life fell from 37% to 23%. 

Researchers concluded that this low-intensity, automated approach can successfully identify cancer patients with insomnia and may help improve sleep-related outcomes.

Looking forward 

Sleep problems can have a significant impact on quality of life during and after cancer treatment. This study suggests that simple, automated tools may help identify people who are struggling with insomnia and connect them with resources that support better sleep. 

Join Connect Today!

Sources:

• An automated, EHR-integrated intervention system for patient-reported insomnia symptoms. 
• Mayo Clinic-Insomnia 
• HealthTree-Better Sleep With Cancer: Understanding Sleep Problems and How to Rest Better