Lose Sleep, Catch a Cold

Little sleep makes us vulnerable to colds
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 13, 2009 4:06 AM CST
Lose Sleep, Catch a Cold
Assistant Secretary of State and nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill coughs during a press conference. New research has linked lack of sleep to catching colds.   (AP Photo/ Wong Maye-E)

Mom was right: get a good night's sleep. Researchers have discovered a direct link between lack of sleep and vulnerability to disease, Reuters reports. Study volunteers who slept less than seven hours a night for just two weeks were three times more likely to come down with cold symptoms after being exposed to a virus.

"This is the first evidence that even relatively minor sleep disturbances can influence the body's reaction to cold viruses," said a research scientist. It's "yet another reason why people should make time in their schedules to get a complete night of rest."
(More common cold stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X