Chaoul A, et al. - The current randomized trial studied the effects of a Tibetan yoga program (TYP) versus a stretching program (STP) and usual care (UC) on sleep and fatigue in women with breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy. Findings suggested that during chemotherapy, participation in TYP led to modest short-term benefits regarding sleep quality. Long-term benefits emerged over time for those who practiced TYP at least 2 times a week.

Methods

• Researchers randomized women with stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM) I to III breast cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy to TYP (74 women), STP (68 women), or UC (85 women).
• In the TYP and STP groups, participants participated in 4 sessions during chemotherapy, followed by 3 booster sessions over the subsequent 6 months, and were encouraged to practice at home.
• They collected self-report measures of sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), fatigue (Brief Fatigue Inventory), and actigraphy at baseline; 1 week after treatment; and at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Results

• Researchers identified no group differences in total sleep disturbances or fatigue levels over time.
• In contrast, patients in the TYP group indicated fewer daily disturbances 1 week after treatment compared with those in the STP (difference, -0.43; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], -0.82 to -0.04 [P = .03]) and UC (difference, -0.41; 95% CI, -0.77 to -0.05 [P = .02]) groups.
• Group differences remained maintained at the other time points for TYP versus STP.
• As per Actigraphy data, there appeared greater minutes awake after sleep onset for patients in the STP group 1 week after treatment versus those in the TYP (difference, 15.36; 95% CI, 7.25-23.48 [P = .0003]) and UC (difference, 14.48; 95% CI, 7.09-21.87 [P = .0002]) groups.
• Patients in the TYP group practicing at least 2 times a week during follow-up demonstrated better Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy outcomes at 3 months and 6 months after treatment compared with those who did not and better outcomes compared with those in the UC group.