You hear it all the time – get a good night’s rest. Well, here’s another reason why. It could mean you can put away the vitamin C and tissues. Recent research shows that sleeping 7 hours a night or more may be your best defense against a cold.
Here’s how the study worked and what it showed
- 164 adults agreed to have the rhinovirus inserted in their noses.
- The participants had detailed, daily nasal examinations and were tested for any antibodies against the strain of rhinovirus before the study began.
- Their age, gender and body mass index was also noted.
With all factors being taken into account, sleep duration was found to be the most important factor in predicted a person’s risk of becoming sick! Results showed:
- Participants who slept 5 to 6 hours were 4.24 times more likely to develop a cold – a cold confirmed by laboratory tests.
- Those who slept less than 5 hours were 4.5 times more likely to get sick.
- Sleeping from 6.1 to 7 hours meant the subject was also more likely to come down with a cold but by a lesser margin.
- Overall, 76% of the participants were infected with rhinovirus and 29% came down with a verified cold.
Previous studies had indicated that people who slept less were more likely to be vulnerable to catching a cold – but this study shows it’s real. The participants were quarantined in a hotel and carefully supervised and monitored. “It goes beyond feeling groggy or irritable. Not getting sleep fundamentally affects your sleep,” said study leader, Aric Prather of the University of California San Francisco. “We need more studies like this to begin to drive home that sleep is a critical piece of our well being.” It is thought that sleep deprivation handicaps T cells in our immune system.
Face it! You want to be healthy and you want to get a good night’s sleep. No one wants to spend a night tossing and turning. If you think your mattress might be part of the problem – think latex foam. It gives full-body, pressure relieving support plus enough push-back or “bounce” to make it easy to change positions in your sleep. Latex-alternative foam mattresses are widely becoming the most recommended mattresses for a good night’s rest!
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