Sleep is Not Just Rest—It is a Nightly Mandatory Class for the Immune System
⏱ A One-Minute Read
Many people think getting a little less sleep is no big deal and that they can just make up for it later. But your immune system begs to differ.
Sleep is the only window each night for the immune system to repair, restock, and consolidate its memories. Lose a single night of sleep, and these tasks get postponed; suffer from chronic sleep deprivation, and your immune function takes a systemic nosedive.
One study went so far as to drip cold viruses directly into volunteers' noses. The results? Those who slept less than 6 hours were more than 4 times as likely to get infected compared to those who got 8 hours. After the age of 40, the impact of sleep on immunity becomes even more pronounced—because your system already isn't what it used to be, and it can ill afford to lose its nightly "power-down maintenance."
