How Missing Just One Night of Sleep Can Impact Your Immune System

Researchers in Kuwait have uncovered the shocking effects of a single night of sleep deprivation on the immune system.

According to the study, insufficient sleep lowers the body’s defenses against infection and injury and raises inflammation. The researchers examined immune cells called monocytes and explained that sleep deprivation interferes with the normal process of blood pressure dropping and blood vessels relaxing. In contrast, you sleep, which impacts the immune system’s ability to function.

Technology, screen time, and shifting social norms contribute to sleep deprivation. Dr. Fatema Al-Rashed of the Dasman Diabetes Research Institute stressed that the findings represent a growing public health concern. The researchers discovered that sleep deprivation changes participants’ monocyte profiles, resulting in a rise in atypical monocytes that react to inflammation. This could have serious implications for immune health and overall well-being.

Five healthy participants in the study had their body mass index (BMI) tracked while they slept for 24 hours. Blood samples collected before and after the experiment showed that atypical monocytes increased due to sleep deprivation. Chronic inflammation can harm healthy tissue and compromise the immune system’s ability to function, and atypical monocytes react to inflammatory signals.

According to a second experiment the researchers conducted with 237 healthy adults of different heights and weights, sleep deprivation has been linked to obesity, memory loss, diabetes, heart disease, emotional instability, impaired learning ability, and a weakened immune response. For a week, the participants wore accelerometers to monitor their eating, exercise, and sleep habits. The findings indicated that the obese participants experienced higher levels of inflammation and poorer sleep quality.

Future research will examine the connection between immunological alterations and sleep deprivation. This study is anticipated to significantly reduce the burden of inflammatory diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

According to a study conducted last year, approximately one-sixth of Britons experience insomnia, but 65% of them choose not to get treatment for it. Numerous factors, such as stress, anxiety, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, noise, shift work, and jet lag, can contribute to insomnia. Sleep hygiene can be enhanced by regular sleep schedules, exercising during the day, and setting up a peaceful sleeping environment.