When it comes to your health, sleep plays an important role. While more
sleep won’t necessarily prevent you from getting sick, skimping on it could
adversely affect your immune system, leaving you susceptible to a bad cold or
case of the flu. To keep yourself sniffle-free this season, here’s what
you need to know.
Sleep and Cytokines
Without sufficient sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines, a type of
protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune
response. Cytokines are both produced and released during sleep, causing a
double whammy if you skimp on shut-eye. Chronic sleep loss even
makes the flu vaccine less effective by reducing your body’s ability to
respond.
Stock Up on Naps
To stay healthy, especially during the influenza season, get the
recommended seven to eight hours of sleep a night. This will help keep your
immune system in fighting shape, and also protect you from other health issues
including heart disease, diabetes,
and obesity. If your sleep schedule is interrupted by a busy workweek or
other factors, try to make up for the lost rest
with naps. Taking two naps that are no longer than 30 minutes each
—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—has been shown to help decrease
stress and offset the negative effects that sleep deprivation has on the immune
system. If you can’t swing a half-hour nap during the workday, try grabbing
a 20-minute siesta on your lunch hour, and another right before dinner.
Other Healthy Tactics
Of course, there’s more to boosting your immunity and guarding against
illness than getting ample sleep. It’s also important to practice smart
stay-healthy strategies such as washing your hands with soap regularly,
avoiding close contact with people who are obviously under the weather, and
talking with your doctor about getting an annual flu shot. And remember:
Even if you do come down with a case of seasonal sniffles, you’ll be able to
bounce back faster if your body is well rested
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