A study conducted by a team led by University of California San Francisco sleep researcher/expert revealed that getting enough sleep can fight off the common cold. (Photo : Facebook/Lauren Conrad Official Page)
Lack of sleep can make people susceptible to the common cold. This is according to a recent study, led by a sleep expert from the University of California, San Francisco, that was published in the September issue of the journal Sleep.
The study overturns other scientific research pointing out that people who get by with only five to six hours of sleep plus several minutes of nap each day stand to improve their health. On the other hand, the new study supports the long-known finding that sufficient sleep keeps illnesses at bay.
Over 160 healthy male and female volunteers aged 18 to 55 years and women were subjected to experimental viral exposure after their sleep duration was assessed.
The finding published in the journal Sleep is that short sleepers, or those who slept less than six hours over seven consecutive days, regardless of age, race, stress levels, education and or smoking habits, were more susceptible to the common cold virus, Sleep journal.
The study's lead author Aric Prather, PhD, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at UCSF, worked with Carnegie Mellon psychologist Sheldon Cohen, PhD and Denise Janicki-Deverts, PhD, and University of Pittsburgh Sleep Medicine Institute's Martica Hall, PhD.
The researchers noted that in the present age when many people try to get much work done every single day, it has remained a challenge to get adequate quality sleep.
Prather underscored the need for studies to convey to people that sleep is a crucial part of enhancing one's well-being, the University of California San Francisco website reported.
Indeed, adequate sleep along with good nutrition and regular exercise are vital for overall wellness. Overlooking the benefits of sleep is a disservice to one's body. Poor sleep patterns and lack of shuteye translates to higher health costs.
