Health Articles, Health Blog

Less sleep may increase cold risk

Posted: January 14th 2009 By editor1       under: Allergies and Infections, Health News    Tags: , , , ,

A US study suggests that people, who sleep less than 7hrs a night, have a higher risk of getting a cold.

The researchers from Carnegie Mellon University noticed that people with less than 7hrs sleep had three times higher risk of catching cold than those who took 8 or more hours sleep every night.

Experts believe that the human immune system impairs because of less sleep, and the body doesn’t remain capable enough to fight against those viruses that become the cause of cold and flu.

The study has been published in the Achieves of Internal Medicine online issue.

The results of some previous studies suggest that people, who take seven or eight hours sleep every night, have significantly lower risk for heart disease.

But still, there is little evidence which show that good night sleep can be helpful to avoid a cold or flu.

In their study the researchers inquired about the sleeping habits of 153 healthy men and women whose average age was 37 years. The participants of the study were quarantined then and they were given rhinovirus nasal drops that become the cause of common cold.

The participants were asked to report if the had any sign of illness. Their mucus samples of nasal passages were also collected.

The researchers found that people who slept less had higher chances of developing a cold. According to the researchers, regulations of some basic chemicals that are produced by immune system get disturbed because lack of sleep and immune system can’t fight effectively against infection.

Related posts:

  1. Higher levels of Insulin may increase breast cancer risk
  2. Is 7 to 8 hours of sleep really help to keep you in the thin zone?
  3. Good night sleep helps to avoid arteries hardening
  4. Sleep Apnea Causing Nighttime Urination
  5. Researchers find link between loneliness and feeling cold
Post your Comment Here




Recent Posts

Trachoma – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Also mentioned in Corpus Hippocraticum by the father of methodical medicine, Hippocrates (5th century BC), Trachoma is a bacterial infection affecting the eye and possessing the po ...

Lower Left and Right Abdominal Pain – Causes and Treatment

The abdomen is sometimes referred as the ‘magic box’ by most medical practitioners. This name comes from the fact that any abdominal pain is difficult to be diagnosed. In most ...

Upper Left and Right Abdominal Pain – Causes and Treatment

An abdominal pain in any part can be excruciating or unbearable and tend to make the patient jump, shout or writhe in pain. The symptoms that are usually noticed along with abdomin ...