PROVE IT
Prove it: No zzzs, you sneeze?
September 26, 2009
THE CLAIM: Lack of sleep increases the risk of catching a cold.
THE FACTS: As cold season approaches, many North Americans stock up on their vitamin C and echinacea. But heeding the age-old advice about catching up on sleep might be more important.
Studies have demonstrated that poor sleep and susceptibility to colds go hand in hand, and scientists think it could be a reflection of the role sleep plays in maintaining the body's defences.
In a recent study for The Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 people for two weeks, keeping track of the quality and duration of their sleep. Then, during a five-day period, they quarantined the subjects and exposed them to cold viruses. Those who slept an average of less than seven hours a night, it turned out, were three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged at least eight hours.
Sleep and immunity, it seems, are tightly linked. Studies have found that mammals that require the most sleep also produce greater levels of disease-fighting white blood cells – but not red blood cells, even though both stem from the same precursor. And researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have shown that species that sleep more have greater resistance against pathogens.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Research suggests that poor sleep can increase susceptibility to colds.
The New York Times
Toronto Star
Featured Sponsored Listings