How does sleep affect your immunity? Tips to follow

The pandemic (COVID-19) is still spreading across the country, so we need to make sure our immune systems are in the best shape. Maybe you prefer to stay awake until late at night, watching your favorite TV shows or maybe you may suffer from insomnia.

Regardless of the reason you are not getting enough sleep, experts say that sleep is one of the best ways to prevent various diseases and helps you to have good health. Immune cells are also known as T cells. These cells fight against intracellular pathogens, or cells that are infected with diseases such as influenza, HIV and coronavirus.

Studies show that sleep has a huge impact on T cells
For example, one study found that people who slept well had improved T cell function, boosting immunity against pathogenic viruses. The researchers concluded that this is because during restful sleep, stress hormones such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, as well as pro-inflammatory compounds were much lower, which allows T cells to do their job better.

But that’s not all because, according to experts, being sleep deprived prevents your body from producing protective cytokines, or ingredients that the body needs to fight infections and inflammation. Antibodies that protect the body from viral infections are also produced less in those who do not get enough sleep.

But how much sleep should a person get to have better health?
Experts say adults should get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Sleeping for nine to ten hours a night can also increase the risk of poor sleep quality and lead to other sleep problems such as insomnia or difficulty sleeping. It is extremely important to get enough sleep. We know this can be difficult, so you can try yoga or bedtime meditation, exercises that help reduce stress./AgroWeb

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