UCSF Study: Lack of Sleep and Illness

A new study by the University of California — San Francisco reinforces the idea that to stay healthy we need to get plenty of sleep.

“…people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who spend more than seven hours a night in slumber land.”

The lead author of the study was  Aric Prather, PhD, assistant professor of Psychiatry at UCSF, who also said that, “Short sleep was more important than any other factor in predicting subjects’ likelihood of catching cold.”

Not only that:

“…previous studies have shown that people who sleep fewer hours are less protected against illness after receiving a vaccine. Other studies have confirmed that sleep is among the factors that regulate T-cell levels.”

Hopefully, In Pursuit of Sleep will be able to help when it is published in the October/November timeframe. Stay tuned for updates.