Why Sleep is Important for Immune Function
By Lydia Wallie, Nutrition Director
Did you know that 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night is necessary for most teens and adults to support healthy immune function? In one particular study, it was found that sleeping 6 hours or less created a 4-fold higher risk of developing a cold following exposure than subjects who slept more than 7 hours per night (1). Maybe there are some superhuman people who can sleep less than 7 hours and not harm their immune function, but for those who aren’t super immunity superheroes, 7-9 hours of sleep is a great habit to continue or create!
Here’s what the research says…
Sleeping less than 6-7 hours a night and poor sleep continuity (the ease of falling asleep and returning to sleep) is associated with:
Onset and development of chronic illness
Susceptibility to acute infectious illness (the influenza or common cold for example)
Premature mortality
Sleep deprivation reduces immune function through:
Diminished T cell proliferation
Shifts in T helper cell cytokine responses
Decreases in natural killer cell cytotoxicity
Increased activation of pro-inflammatory pathways (2)
(Want to learn more about the immune system? Click here for Crash Course videos to watch! They’re great for children/teens too.)
Since influenza (an infectious illness) and certain chronic illnesses including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are in the top 10 leading causes of death in the US (3), a focus on sleep health is vitally important for the opportunity for greater quality and duration of life.
Are you getting 7-9 hours of sleep per night? If not, what’s one change you can make for a better sleep schedule?
The best way to build good habits and reach your goals is with accountability. This is what we do constantly at CrossFit 925... keep people accountable through group and 1:1 coaching. Contact me today at lydia_wallie@crossfit925.com to get the accountability you need for better sleep and healthy habits!
Source List:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4531398/