Sleep and health

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Sleep not only ensures that we are fit, rested and productive every day. Rather, sleep also has a major impact on the body’s own processes, which often take place completely unnoticed by our perception. These include, for example, cell renewal, different metabolic processes and the performance of our immune system. This should always be strengthened and maintained, but especially in times of the corona pandemic. In addition to healthy eating (more on that next week) and physical exercise, regular and sufficient sleep contributes to a functioning immune system. For example, researchers from the University of Tübingen and the University of Lübeck found that a lack of sleep of just 3 hours affects the function of the so-called T cells in the blood. T cells are part of the immune system and have the task of recognizing and fighting foreign antigens. The investigations showed that the ability of the T cells to attach to infected cells under sleep deprivation is far less pronounced than in people with a sufficient amount of sleep. This docking ability is particularly important because it is the first step in the immune system’s destruction of infected cells.

A study by the University of Pittsburgh also found that in people who sleep less than 6 hours on average per night, the formation of antibodies often does not work properly after hepatitis B vaccination. The scientists found that the risk of not producing antibodies when sleeping less than 6 hours a day is 11.5 times higher than in subjects who slept 7 hours or more.

PEOPLE WHO SLEEP LITTLE ARE CONSIDERED TO BE HARDWORKING AND SUCCESSFUL IN OUR SOCIETY – THE TERM “SLEEPY HEAD” IS STILL NEGATIVE. IT IS PRECISELY THOSE WHO KNOW THEIR NEED FOR SLEEP AND KEEP HEALTHIER AND MORE EFFICIENT IN THE LONG TERM!

For most of us, sleep is primarily a means to replenish empty energy stores. For your body, however, time is much more than that. The many different processes that take place completely unconsciously at night ensure that our bodies function as we are used to during the day. Especially in stressful times like today, we should give ourselves and our body time to relax and regenerate sufficiently.

READY FOR YOUR CHALLENGE?

Are you aware of how long you sleep every night? With a sleeping diary, you can easily record your sleeping habits and quality. Try to take notes every day for the next week.

To the Challenge

Bibliography

  1. Weeß, Hans-Günter (2018). Schlaf wirkt Wunder. Droemer HC.
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30755455
  3. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/35/8/1063/2558920