Sleep problems and fatigue are common among Childhood Cancer survivors and can impair their attention and memory. More than 20 percent of participants reported cognitive impairment, such as trouble with attention and memory. They found that survivors who have sleep problems or frequent daytime sleepiness or fatigue were three to four times more likely to have attention and memory problems than those who said they sleep well.

Childhood cancer survivors are already at increased risk for cognitive problems due to the direct or indirect result of treatment. Chemotherapy or the current age of the childhood cancer survivor, the survivors currently taking antidepressants are 70 percent more likely to report memory problems and 50 percent more likely to report attention problems.

These findings suggest that improved sleep quality and reduced fatigue may help to improve attention and memory functions in survivors.