Sleep and the
Immune System
How the Immune
System and Sleep Work Hand in Hand
When we fall ill, we are always advised to
sleep, get a good night's rest, and stay at
home - if possible, stay in bed. We often feel
weak when we are ill; and we often do want to
sleep when we go down with infections.
Why do we feel sleepy when we are sick? Is
there a link between sleep and the immune
system?
You have to know how the immune system works.
When your body picks up a pathogen, such as
a virus or a bacterium, your body sends out
cells to recognize it. Once these cells find
out what the invader is your body launches a
defense response to kill the infection. This
would entail you having to endure a fever, body
pains, sometimes even vomiting or loose bowel
movement as your immune system puts up a fight.
If you get well, your immune system can create
memory cells, which will protect you from future
infections.
The immune system works to make you sleep;
and sleep allows your immune system to work.
All this, researchers found by studying laboratory
animals, as well as people in experiencing Rapid
Eye Movement (REM) sleep, loosely defined as
"deep sleep." It is non-REM sleep
that stimulates the immune system, but researchers
found that to keep at the top of the game, humans
must have as much REM sleep as possible.
Now why is this so? Studies have found that
REM sleep allows a complete "battery recharge"
in the body, allowing memories to become permanent
in the brain, and allowing the immune system
to repair any damages done to cells and organs.
This is most evident if you have experienced
deep sleep: you wake up with a sense of clarity,
and feel rested.
What other benefits
does sleep carry?
- If you are a teenager and still going through
your growth phase, then you need a lot of
sleep. This is because growth hormones will
come out during sleep.
- Studies show that people who sleep at least
seven hours a night not only perform better
at work, but feel better about themselves
and consequently are less hostile to their
co-workers.
- Recent research has also shown that people
who do not experience frequent REM sleep,
have impaired motor functions and balance.
You may notice this after pulling an all-nighter:
you have a hard time walking straight, and
you may sometimes be clumsy.
- Lack of sleep, on the whole, impairs memory,
vision, and even the ability to make wise
judgment.
- People who have less sleep are more likely
to experience anxiety and depression, which,
in turn, impair the immune system's ability
to heal illness.
Sleep means giving you a longer life, then
you should have as much deep sleep as you possibly
can. So get that immune system stimulated, have
a few winks, and say hello to good health!
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