Feeling a little flu-ey after a bad night sleep? It’s not your imagination. As presented in the article below, sleep and immunity are interlaced. Find out the why, how and what happens if you skimp on your precious sleep - and of course, my advice on how to optimise your immunity - via sleep.
But first - how do sleep and immunity interact?
First, academic research notes inadequate sleep increases the release of immunosuppressant hormones cortisol and adrenalin. Produced as a response to stress, these hormones weaken your immune system. This is exactly why after a big exam or big meeting, you get sick.
Second, Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism notes sleep helps develop immunological memory cells - T and B cells. These immune cells prevent the same bug affecting you twice - they become active after a flu shot, which is why you don’t get the flu that season after your injection.
Lastly, Harvard Medical School, highlights cellular inflammation increases with insufficient sleep. One of the hallmarks of chronic illness, inflammation contributes to fatigue, adrenal exhaustion, allergies, IBS, acne and even heart health. Over time, this can have long term consequences on the body - for example, virus contraction is 4 x more likely for those sleeping 6 hours rather than 7.
Ok: how do I get deep sleep?
Be asleep between the hours of 10pm and 2am. Maximising time spent in slow wave sleep (SWS), American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Immunology pinpoints this type of sleep enables adaptive immune responses: the production of antibodies in response to specific foreign invaders; plus the release of ‘natural killer’ cells (yes, they are actually called that) to protect against bugs in general - as noted above.
Actively avoid blue light: A recent study investigating the impact of blue light upon metabolism, hunger and sleepiness found that blue light exposure in the evening increases hunger and sleepiness the next morning. Recognise you have a choice of what to do in the evening: you don’t have to watch TV or be on social media!
Support your immune system. Sleep well, drink water, avoid toxins, supplement up and make sure you have a science based strategy with support. If you don’t - contact me.
