How Sleep Boosts Your Immune System

Sleep is not just for rest — it is essential for keeping you healthy. When you sleep, your body repairs itself and builds a stronger defence system to fight off illness.

Why Sleep Matters 

White blood cell production increases during sleep because this allows your body to better defend against germs and infections. Periods of sleep enable your body to produce proteins which assist your illness response system. Too little sleep makes your immune system less strong which leads people to fall ill more frequently.

Based on research from the National Sleep Foundation reduced nightly sleep duration below six hours puts adults at higher risk for colds in comparison to minimum seven hours of sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rest enhances your body's vaccine response while speeding up your recovery when you become ill.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Adults typically require a nighttime rest of 7 to 9 hours and teens along with children require additional rest every day. Persistent sleep deficiencies increase your time spent in bed sick and delay recovery while diminishing your immune system strength.

Simple Ways to Sleep Better 

• Sticking to a regular bedtime schedule includes Sundays along with other days of the week.
• Screen time in bed causes brain activity that prevents relaxation so cut it out before bedtime.
• The right kind of bed mattress coupled with a supportive sleeping surface helps guarantee good rest results.
• The temperature setting for your bedroom space needs to be comfortable and fresh.

Get a better immune system through basic sleep concerns. Throughout the daylight hours people need to focus on both feeling rested and maintaining their health and strength.

Sources: National Sleep Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).