Sleep & Immunity
Improved Immunity and Outcomes With Sleep During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Can lack of sleep make you sick?
Lack of sleep could adversely affect your immune system, leaving you susceptible to infections. Studies show that people who don’t get quality sleep or enough sleep have:
Increase Risk of Infection
With Lack of sleep, you’re more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as the influenza virus or a common cold virus.
Adverse Effect on Vaccination Responses
Chronic sleep loss even makes the flu vaccine less effective by reducing your body’s ability to mount an immune response.
Worst Infection Outcome
Lack of sleep affects how fast you recover if you do get sick.
Increased risk of Chronic Disease
Prolonged sleep deficiency (e.g., short sleep duration, sleep disturbance) can lead to chronic, systemic low-grade inflammation and is associated with various diseases that have an inflammatory component, like diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegeneration.
Lack of Sleep Effects on the Immune System:
Reducing Antibodies and Immune Cells
Infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.
Decreasing Production of Protective Cytokines:
During sleep, our immune system produces and releases proteins called cytokines. Cytokines are a type of protective protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. Sleep deprivation causes our body to make fewer protective cytokines.
How much sleep do you need to boost your immune system?
Adults
The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours of good sleep each night.