Good sleep fights off the common cold

[webcowgirl]

Okay, I think this is GREAT NEWS and have to share it.

"There is no cure for the common cold, but in an experiment that deliberately infected volunteers with a virus, researchers have shown that getting less sleep can substantially increase the risk of catching one."

I have often felt that the amount of sleep I get is directly related to my ability to ward off infection, and since I started, er, drinking red wine to stave off the effects of aging (per another article) and generally getting 8 hours a night (I think these things are related), I have managed to fight off cold after cold. I firmly believe that eating well and getting enough sleep and regular hand washing (and not getting colds) is the best way to avoid getting colds ... and I am right in one of these things! I have felt one after another hit this winter but I've just had a runny nose that was gone the next day - a huge improvement over last year. I've also been trying to adjust my schedule so that I'm not getting home after 10:30 so I have enough time to wind down before bed, and I feel like this has been paying off.

(The "don't get a cold to keep you from getting a cold" sounds redundant but I need something to explain the fact that when you get one you tend to get a million in a row due to your immune system being overtaxed or something like that.)

Also, some further advice about avoiding heart attacks: get tested for C-reactive protein, Mediterranean diet (the Sicilian cooking will serve me well), take care of your teeth, avoid chronic stress (like I had all of the last five months of this year), get enough sleep, and a bit of cardio. Time to add in a bit more cardio - brisk walking will work and I note it's sunny outside. :-)

Comments

[weegoddess.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to see that there is finally some back-up for the 'well, duh' argument that insufficient sleep lowers a person's defenses against acute and chronic illness. It would seem like a no-brainer, given what sleep does for the body. Same thing for chronic stress. ::whistles innocently and tries to look innocent of that one::

But YAY for vindication. I'm glad that someone is taking it all seriously besides us.

[ivy]

Damn. I am chronically short on sleep by most peoples' standards (~5 or 6 hours a night, but I feel fine). And I get at least one cold a year. Maybe I should put more effort into solving my sleep problems. (I am chronically and severely night shifted, so I don't get tired until 2 to 6 AM... which does not go well with the business world. I have lobbied for 10 AM to 6 PM hours, but only sometimes get them.)