The researchers don’t know why less sleep is associated with a greater susceptibility to colds. They believe that sleep deprivation or sleep disturbances may affect the immune system’s ability to function at an optimal level.
David Rapoport, MD, the director of the sleep medicine program at New York University School of Medicine, says the study is interesting and adds to a large body of research on the interaction between sleep and the immune system.
“Many of the molecules and substances that circulate in body and also within cells overlap between immune function and sleep,” he says. “There are parallel paths here, so it’s not at all surprising that they affect each other.”
He notes that it’s a two-way street: When you’re sick, you often feel a greater need to sleep.
“Everybody knows that when you’re sick, you sleep. Likewise, when you don’t sleep, that seems to—according to grandma—make you more susceptible, and this study is along those lines. So it’s not totally out of left field to find these relationships,” he explains.
However, relying on the volunteers to recall how much they slept tends to be a relatively inaccurate way to measure sleep time, so it’s hard to say if 10 minutes of lost sleep would really make a difference, he says.
And insomniacs shouldn’t add “catching a cold” to their list of things to worry about when they’re tossing and turning.
“Insomniacs worry a lot and the last thing you want to do is add to their worries,” Dr. Rapoport says. “You can’t quite jump from the conclusion that people who get less sleep who were selected from a relatively healthy population will have exactly the same effects as people who have a chronic condition that limits the amount of sleep they get.”
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Is it a cold or the flu?We’ve imopcled some of the most basica0cold or flu signs, adapted from information from the US Department of Health & Human Services and the Virginia Department of Health. SymptomsColdFluFeverRare in adults and older children, but can be up to 102 F in infants and small children.Usually 102 F, and can go up to 104 F usually lasts 3-4 daysHeadacheRareSudden onset can be severeMuscle aches & painsMildCommon often severeFatigue & weaknessMildOften extreme can last 2 or more weeksExtreme exhaustionNeverSudden onset can be severeStuffy/runny noseOftenSometimesSneezingOftenSometimesSore throatOftenSometimesCough & chest discomfortMild hacking coughCommon can become severe Other sites to see for more information about the difference between colds and flu:Mayo Clinic: / Government:a0 /a0Universities: /