Spending sleepless nights? Here’s how your sleep affects your immunity

Insomnia is a sleep disorder making a person difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep as long as desired.

By: Satata Karmakar | | Published: November 4, 2020 3:25 pm

Sleepless night? Here's how your sleep affects your immunity.

Another sleepless night even after following a good diet, avoiding caffeine, and exercising regularly. So what’s to blame? Well, sleep plays a very important role when it comes to your health. And, you need to get alert right now if you have sleeping issues. Sleep deprivation can lead to several complicated health issues, one of these is affecting your immunity. Also Read - Caffeine overdose to dehydration: Drinking too much green tea can be seriously harmful

So, what is sleep deprivation, and what causes it?

Sleep deprivation or insomnia is a disorder that doesn’t let a person sleep as much as the body generally requires. Insomnia can be traced by keeping a close check on the symptoms which may vary from having difficulty falling asleep at night or awakening during the night or too early to not feeling well-rested after a night’s sleep. Also Read - Stress and anxiety making you an insomniac? Acupressure can give you instant relief

What causes sleep deprivation?

There can be many reasons why you can sleep. Some of these can include the lifestyle that you are following or the food you are giving your body. Let’s look at these causes more closely. Also Read - Healthy sleep habits help lower risk of heart failure, reveals a study

Your job

One of the main reasons why you are not able to sleep properly is your job timings. Long hours, commutes, and 24/7 expectations, not to mention shift work, can all cut into precious downtime and result in a sleepless night. Apart from these, if you are working in an environment where you deal with negative people and are forced to work under extreme pressure.

You all must know it very well by now that stress and anxiety can turn your life upside down. Be it your inner peace or level of productivity, everything gets affected when you don’t sleep well.

What you drink matters!

Yes, you read it right. What you drink is really important. If you are a coffee person then sleep deprivation can become your everyday problem. Caffeinated drinks can cause sleep problems. Limit your consumption of strong coffee or green tea.

Medications

One of the other but an important reason behind why you are not able to sleep can be your medications. Many medications can have sedating effects. Some of these can be stimulating antidepressants such as Prozac can interfere with sleep, and should therefore be taken in the morning.

The world is fighting COVID-19 and the only medicine that you have in your hands right now is to build your immunity stronger. And not giving your body enough sleep can affect your immunity. Here’s how what happens to your immunity when you don’t sleep:

Cytokines

When you don’t give your body enough sleep, your body makes fewer cytokines – a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively building your immunity. Cytokines are both produced and released during sleep, causing a double whammy if you skimp on shut-eye.

Helps your body fight virus

Have you ever seen how important it is to give your body sleep of seven to eight hours in a day to fight COVID-19? Well, to stay healthy, especially during the influenza season, get the recommended amount of sleep. This will help keep your immune system in fighting shape and also protect you from other health issues including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Ways to improve your sleeping habits

You can beat this common sleep problem with some basic tips and home remedies. Here’s how:

Set your own bedtime and wake time and try to follow it religiously
Stay active by exercising regularly. But, avoid exercising right before sleeping.
Avoid drinking alcohol in the evening as much as possible if you are suffering from insomnia.
Avoid sipping into caffeinated drinks right before sleeping.
Relax your inner soul with some bedtime music, a cup of chamomile tea, and some scented candles.

Apart from the above mentioned, there’s more to boosting your immunity and guarding your body against any kinds of foreign viruses than getting ample sleep. It’s also important to practice a smart and healthy lifestyle and maintain basic hygienic habits such as washing your hands with soap or a sanitizer regularly, avoiding close contact with people who are sick or are showing symptoms of sickness.

Published : November 4, 2020 3:25 pm

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