According to new studies in fruit flies, you can be sure that sleep is critical to both preventing and healing your body from illness. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania conducted two new studies; both of which are published in the journal SLEEP.
The first study was able to show that an increased amount of sleep after an infection with bacteria is linked with a greater survival chance. The researchers infected groups of fruit flies that were either sleep-deprived or well-rested with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens bacteria.
Surprisingly, the flies that were sleep-deprived actually had a greater chance of survival after the infection, compared to the well-rested flies. However, it should be noted that the theory is that sleep deprivation drove them to sleep more after being infected.
For the second study, the researchers genetically engineered fruit flies to sleep more prior to introducing bacteria into their bodies. This second group of flies also survived, being better able to clear the bacteria from their bodies, which suggests that sleep has a positive effect on the immune response.
In regards to their findings, the researchers stated that by getting more sleep, people can produce more, “activity of NFkB transcription factor,” thus helping to improve their immune system and the ability to knock out sickness.
The bottom line is, you need sleep more when you are sick. So, remember to slow down and not feel guilty about it. If you are a person that can’t stand the thought of being sick, getting 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep every night is a wonderful, free way to help deter illness from coming on. Enjoy the benefits of grade A shut-eye, along with a proper diet and exercise to be the best you can be!
Via: The Huffington Post
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