As featured in News.com.au
As fears over the spread of coronavirus reach fever pitch, Australians have stepped into overdrive in order to protect themselves from the deadly disease.
Supplies of hand sanitiser have largely sold out across the country, while demand for paracetamol and masks – despite evidence they do little to prevent you from catching coronavirus – have gone through the roof.
But one expert has revealed there is an easy (and more importantly, free)
way to boost your immune system that’s backed by science.
Sleep for Immunity
Australian sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo
told news.com.au that we should be aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep
a night to make sure we are fighting fit to battle coronavirus.
“Evidence shows that lack of sleep impairs immunity:
Studies show a 70 per cent reduction in natural immune
cells after four to five hours of sleep,” she said.
“As a result, you aren’t able to fight off contagious viruses, such as corona, as effectively.
Fortunately, this reduction is amended as soon as you have sufficient sleep (seven to nine hours).”
Even getting just a little bit less sleep – like staying up an extra hour to finish that season of Peaky Blinders you’ve been bingeing on Netflix – can have a huge impact on your health.
Sleep can help protect against Coronavirus
“Further research shows individuals are four times more likely to contract a virus after five or six hours sleep rather than seven – so even just a little bit less sleep than normal wreaks havoc on your body,” Ms Arezzolo said.
Besides making sure we are getting shut-eye for seven to nine hours a night, how you sleep is also crucial.
“(You should sleep) seven to nine hours, however, the quality of sleep is more important – by practising healthy sleep habits such as limiting blue light in the evening, taking a sleep supplement, meditating and applying lavender oil, you’re more likely to sleep deeper,” Ms Arezzolo said.
“And this, rather than the number of hours, is what matters most.”
