Not sleeping at night? It may be affecting your immune system

The connection between lack of sleep and illness isn’t cut and dry, but there is some data that suggests being sleep deprived suppresses your immune system function and possibly leads to a great chance of catching a cold or bacterial infection.

Think of it this way: after a poor night’s sleep, you may be unable to perform the mental or physical demands of your job the way you can with a good night’s sleep. Your immune system’s job is to ward off illness and infection; without adequate sleep, it may not do its job as well either.

In an interview with Web MD, Dr. Diwakar Balachandran, director of the Sleep Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said numerous studies show that lack of sleep causes a decrease in T-cells and an increase in inflammatory cytokines, potentially leading to an increased risk of catching a cold or the flu.

Getting enough sleep also plays a role in helping your body fight illnesses once you catch one. Our bodies’ way to fight infection is with fevers. Sleeping, according to Dr. Balachandran, allows a better fever response, which is why it’s common for a fever to go up at night. If you’re not sleeping, your body’s fever reaction may not be functioning at optimal levels, meaning it’s not fighting the infection to the best of its ability.

Another recent study shows that there may also be a link between the body’s circadian rhythm and the immune system. Circadian rhythms are, simply put, the internal rhythms or clock that regulate various bodily processes, such as sleep and hunger. The study used mice to show that there is a link between the circadian rhythms and a gene that wards off bacteria and viruses. When proper circadian rhythms were maintained, including adequate, regular levels of sleep, the levels of the gene are higher and more capable of warding off infection.

While studies continue to seek the specific links between sleep and the immune system, striving to get a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis should be a goal for maintaining good health. If you’re having trouble falling asleep or difficulty sleeping through the night, it’s important to find out why and seek a sleep solution.

It’s generally recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep per day. Click here to find out more about how much sleep you should be getting.