Those who sleep little are 4 times more likely to catch a cold

A new study conducted by a sleep researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) proves what parents and grandparents have been saying for centuries: To avoid illness, make sure you get enough sleep.
The research group, which includes researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, found that people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared with those sleeping at least 7 hours a night.
This is the first study to use objective measures of sleep to associate circadian habits with disease propensity, according to Dr. Aric Prather, assistant professor of psychiatry at UCSF and lead author of the study. The results underscore the importance of sleep in maintaining our health.

According to Dr. Prather, short sleep duration was the most important factor in the likelihood of catching a cold. “It doesn’t matter the age of the patients, their level of stress, their race, level of education, income, whether or not they smoke. With all these factors taken into account, sleep duration was most important.”
The study entitled “Behaviorally assesses sleep and susceptibility to the common cold”, was published in the September online edition of the scientific journal Sleep.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers insufficient sleep a public health epidemic, linking poor sleep quality with car crashes, industrial accidents and medical errors. According to a 2013 US survey, one in five Americans get less than six hours of sleep.

Scientists have long known that sleep is important to our health, and too little sleep is associated with chronic disease, and even an increased susceptibility to premature death. Previous studies by Dr. Prather showed that people who sleep less hours are less protected against disease, even after receiving a vaccine. Other studies have confirmed that sleep is one of the factors that regulate the levels of T cells, responsible for the body’s defense.

The study in detail

The researchers recruited 164 volunteers from the Pittsburgh area between 2007 and 2011 and administered the common flu virus to them. The patients underwent two months of health screenings, interviews, and questionnaires to establish baselines for factors such as stress, temperament, and alcohol and cigarette use. The researchers also measured the participants’ normal sleeping habits a week before they were inoculated with the common flu virus.
They found that individuals who slept less than six hours a night in the previous week were 4.2 times more likely to have been sick compared to those who slept more than seven hours. Those who slept less than five hours were 4.5 times more likely to contract the disease.
According to the National Sleep Foundation in the US, the amount of hours slept varies according to age group. Newborns need 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day. Babies aged four to eleven months need 12 to 15 hours of sleep a day. As age increases, the need for sleep decreases. Children ages 1 to 5 need 10 to 14 hours of sleep; from 6 to 13 years old, the recommendation is 9 to 11 hours; from 14 to 17 years old, 8 to 9 hours of sleep is enough. Adults aged 18 to 64 should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a day, and seniors over 64 need 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day.

Brazilian sleep quality

According to the Associação Brasileira do Sono, about 43% of Brazilians suffer from some kind of sleep disorder. The most common disorders are: apnea , bruxism, snoring , insomnia , sleepwalking and night terrors.

Children may also experience disorders such as night terrors and nightmares.

Jeanne Kenney
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I’m a stylist trainer, a content creator, and an entrepreneur passion. Virgo sign and Pisces ascendant, I move easily between my dreams, the crazy world I want, and my feet on the ground to carry out my projects.

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