A new study suggests the connection between lack of sleep and common cold is stronger than previously thought. According to the findings of the study, anything less than seven to eight hours of sleep can lower one’s resistance to the common cold viruses. People who sleep less than seven hours per night are three times more likely than those who sleep eight hours or more to catch a common cold after being exposed to a cold virus.

 

For the study, published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University studied 153 healthy men and women. The participants were locked in a hotel room for five days after they had been infected with a common cold virus.

 

And 28 days after exposure to the virus, blood samples were taken from each participant. Tests were carried out to see if they developed antibodies to fight the virus. The results showed that those who spent less than 92% of their time in bed asleep were five-and-a-half times more likely than others to get a cold. Those who reported fewer than seven hours of sleep on average were almost 3 times more likely to develop sneezing, sore throat and other cold symptoms.

 

Scientists speculate that sleep deprivation affects the process of regulation of key chemicals produced by the immune system to fight infection. “Sleep disturbance may depress the immune system response to infection,” the researchers explained.

 

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of getting heart disease. The risk of those who get five to seven hours of sleep a night to develop early signs of blood-vessel damage may be up to 50 percent higher, compared to those who get more rest. Poor sleep has also been linked to serious conditions such as obesity and impaired glucose tolerance in pediatric patients. On the other hand, people who sleep seven to eight hours a night have the lowest rates of heart disease and death.

 

“Regular sleep habits may play an important role in your immune system's ability to fight off infectious disease,” explained study lead author Sheldon Cohen, a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The study was the first to focus on the role played by ordinary, real-life sleep habits in healthy persons. The association may have a large public health impact, as “these results strongly suggest the possibility of sleep playing a causal role in cold susceptibility,” according to the study.

 

Experts agree that people should sleep at least 7-8 hours at night and at least 50 minutes at noon to maintain a good health. However, the total hours of sleep depend on the age. A newborn will sleep for 22 and a half hours per day whereas an adolescent will need at least 9 hours of sleep per night.