Over the past half century, US residents have started sleeping about two hours less than they need to, and about a third of the working-age population sleeps less than six hours a night. And it is unlikely that the inhabitants of Russia, especially large cities, differ in this from the Americans. If sleep is also not a priority for you, if you are willing to neglect it for work or pleasure, read about the results of a recent study. Scientists from the Universities of Washington and Pennsylvania and the Elson and Floyd College of Medicine have shown for the first time “in real life” how sleep deprivation suppresses immunity.
Of course, researchers have long been studying the relationship between sleep and immunity. A number of studies have already demonstrated that if in laboratory conditions the sleep duration is reduced by only two hours, then the number of markers of inflammation in the blood increases and the activation of immune cells begins, which can lead to autoimmune diseases. However, until now it has been poorly understood how sleep deprivation affects the body in vivo.
The work of American scientists has shown that chronic lack of sleep reduces the performance of white blood cells involved in the immune response.
The researchers took blood samples from eleven pairs of twins, with each pair having a difference in sleep duration. They found that those who slept less than their siblings had more immune system suppression. These findings are published in the journal Sleep.
The study was unique in that it involved identical twins. This made it possible to analyze how sleep duration affects gene expression. It turned out that short naps influenced genes involved in transcription, translation and oxidative phosphorylation (the process by which the energy formed during the oxidation of nutrients is stored in the mitochondria of cells). It was also found that with a lack of sleep, genes responsible for immune-inflammatory processes (for example, activation of leukocytes), as well as for processes that regulate blood coagulation and cell adhesion (a special type of cell connection), are deactivated.
“We have shown that the immune system is more functional when the body gets enough sleep. Seven or more hours of sleep is recommended for optimal health. These results are consistent with other studies that show sleep-deprived people have a lower immune response, and when exposed to rhinovirus, they are more likely to get sick. Thus, evidence has emerged that normal sleep is essential to maintain health and functional well-being, especially the immune system, ”Neuron News quoted lead author Dr. Nathaniel Watson, director of the Medical Center for Sleep Research and Harborview Medicine Center.
More information about the meaning of sleep for different aspects of life is collected in my digest. And here you will find several ways to fall asleep faster.