Lack Of Sleep Connected To The Common Cold

Researchers have discovered a link between not enough sleep or just not sleeping well and the common cold.

A new study finds we are more susceptible to catching a cold if you get less than 6 hours of sleep a night; 4 or 5 times more likely.

The BBC reports for one week, 164 healthy volunteers were asked to wear a wrist sensor that tracked their normal sleep habits. They were then given nasal drops containing rhinovirus and quarantined in a hotel for five days under close observation to see how many got a cold.The findings support the theory that poor sleep blunts immunity.

Web MD reports the findings held up even after accounting for factors such as time of year, weight and obesity status, income, education background, self-declared stress levels, smoking status, exercise routines and drinking habits.

Sleep plays an important role in a healthy immune system, so make sleep a priority and try to get 8 hours of shut-eye per night.