How Sleep Strengthens Your Immune System
Numerous studies have reported the benefits of a good
night’s sleep, and now researchers from Germany have
found that sound sleep improves immune cells known as T
cells.
“T cells are a type of… immune cells that fight against
intracellular pathogens, for example virus-infected cells such
as flu, HIV, herpes, and cancer cells,” Stoyan Dimitrov, PhD,
told Healthline.
The study found a new mechanism through which sleep can
assist the immune system.
“We show that the stress hormones adrenaline and
noradrenaline and pro-inflammatory molecules
prostaglandins inhibit the stickiness of a class of adhesion
molecules called integrins,” Dr. Dimitrov said. “Because the
levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and prostaglandins are
low during sleep time, the stickiness of the integrins is
stronger. This stickiness is important because in order for T
cells to kill virus-infected cells or cancer cells, they need to
get in direct contact with them, and the integrin stickiness is
known to promote this contact.”
When cells in the body recognize a virally infected cell, they
activate integrins, a sticky type of protein, that then allows
them to attach to and kill infected cells.
The researchers compared T cells from healthy volunteers
who either slept or stayed awake all night.
They found that in the study participants who slept, their T
cells showed higher levels of integrin activation than in the T
cells of those who were awake.
The findings indicate that sleep has the potential to improve
T cell functioning. For people who get poor sleep, stress
hormones may inhibit the ability of T cells to function as
effectively.
Less than five hours sleep per night on a regular basis is
associated with higher mortality, and having less than seven
hours sleep for three nights in a row has the same effect on
the body as missing one full night of sleep.
Poor sleep can increase inflammation, blood pressure,
insulin resistance, cortisol, weight gain, and cardiovascular
disease, as well as decrease blood sugar regulation.
Despite numerous studies proving the negative health impacts of
poor sleep, experts say many people still don’t prioritize getting
enough sleep.
Adaptado de: <https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-sleepbolsters-your-immune-system#The-bottom-line> Acessado em 21 de fevereiro de 2019.
Many people do nothing regarding getting more sleep
