P065 Sleep Perceptions of Carers in Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION: Carers of individuals receiving palliative care have heightened responsibilities as part of their role which significantly affects their sleep. Despite the recognised importance of sleep, and the evidence regarding the impact of disturbed sleep on one’s physical and psychological wellbeing, sleep of carers is often overlooked. Furthermore, research regarding the lived experience of carers regarding their sleep is limited. This study aimed to explore carers’ sleep experiences, perceived factors related to sleep, and sleep management strategies that they adopt, in order to inform tailored assessment and sleep interventions for carers of individuals receiving palliative care. METHODS: Nine carers providing home palliative care were interviewed regarding their sleep experiences. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Five key themes were identified: (1) Sleep experiences are complex; (2) Sleep is not the priority; (3) Contributing factors of sleep vary; (4) Multiple sleep management strategies exist; and, (5) Need for carer preparedness and ongoing support; under one overarching theme being “sleep is individual for every carer”. DISCUSSION: Sleep is an individualised and complex experience that is perceived differently by carers. To improve carers’ self-appraisal in sleep quality, consideration of personal beliefs and attitudes should be accounted for to aid addressing factors that contribute to carers’ sleep disturbances. Further, carer-specific resources are crucial to improving quality and accessibility of support services (i.e. respite care).