How Sleep And The Immune System Are Linked
As we transition into the colder months of the year, maintaining a strong and healthy immune system should be a high priority! While you can certainly boost your immune system by spending time in nature, consuming superfoods and supplements and exercising regularly, one of the easiest and most overlooked methods is to boost your immune system with sleep!
The immune system is the body’s defense against infection. Our immune system is amazing and keeps a record of every bacteria and virus it has fought so it can fight back more quickly next time. One of the most significant assets to help your immune system stay strong is sleep. The amount and quality of sleep are crucial to maintaining a healthy immune system.
Why Sleep is so Important
While you sleep, your body manufactures cytokines which are a type of protein that targets inflammation and infection. This process creates an immune response. Since these little soldiers are created and released during sleep, if you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system works less efficiently and reduces the body’s ability to respond.
Studies have found that your body goes into stress mode when you don’t get enough sleep or lack quality sleep. This occurs because the rhythm of the white blood cells is interrupted.
When the body continually goes into a stress response, the sleep deprivation begins to impair your immune system. This opens the door to common ailments such as:
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
To allow the body to produce an army to go to war against unwanted germs and diseases, the average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night. It’s not just quantity that is important here; quality also matters. If you are having difficulty falling asleep or tossing and turning all night, this affects your sleep quality.
Here are some tips and tricks I use and love to help improve my sleep quality:
- Have a bedtime routine
- Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
- Stop using mobile devices at least one hour before bed
- De-stress before bed by reading, taking a hot bath or shower or meditating
- Unwind with lavender essential oil
- Use a sleep mask
Your immune system depends on sleep to function properly. By making some simple adjustments to your habits in order to make sleep a priority, you will set your immune system up for success so that you can live vibrantly and thrive.
Want to learn more ways to boost the immune system? Check out this post: 7 Immunity Boosting Tips. #4 Might Surprise You…
Are you going to start implementing these methods to boost your immune system with sleep? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments!
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