A night of good sleep is linked to much more than staying active and avoiding dark circles. While it might seem hard to get a good night’s sleep combating countless thoughts in your head- sleep is considered a vital aspect to strengthen your body and mind. You might think of it as a vague connection- how can lying in bed, closing your eyes and dozing off, ultimately result in a potent immunity? And immunity is something we all especially need with COVID-19 out there. Read along, and you’ll find surprising information on how sleep and immunity go hand in hand.
Enhanced T Cell Response
The human body relies on T cells to battle off any foreign, viral, or cancerous agents that enter the system. Integrins are another kind of proteins activated by T cells that allow the immune cells to bind to the pathogens and destroy them. Here is when sleep enters the story. Sleeping for eight hours or more has proven to enhance the functioning of T cells, which consequently activates integrins and boosts immune response. Depression, stress, and other factors that make one sleep-deprived tend to decrease the integrin activation, hence leading to a potential risk of diseases.
Increased Cytokines
Cytokines are yet another component of the human immune system. These are proteins, including interferons, interleukins, and growth factors acting as messengers for other cells. Cytokines form the primary defense system of the body by fighting common illnesses such as inflammations and infections. If you lack sleep, your body fails to produce sufficient cytokines that wane the immunity. It signifies how crucial sleep is to ensure that the cytokines are released and performing efficiently.
Ace Your Sleeping Routine
Uninterrupted sleep is what keeps your immune system in shape. It gives you a focused mind and a sense of rejuvenation physically. Staying up for late hours, not only leads you to a cranky mood, but it usually results in a bad cold and flu. A weaker immunity will not allow your body to give its best results in fighting illnesses, so you need to realize that your sleep is the best soldier your body can ever have.
Instead of staying awake at night replaying the same thoughts over and over again, you can try to improve your sleep environment. Your bed is the main target, so opt for comfortable pillows and bedspreads that offer a softer feel. Go with your favorite color, anything from blues and pinks to maximize comfort and calmness at night. A dimly-lit room, with proper heating, is the perfect setting in winters for snuggling under duvets to relax your tired body.
Don’t take those 8-9 hours of sleep for granted. Don’t let those troubling thoughts get the best of you. And most importantly, don’t sacrifice your sleep for anything. Your body has a right to rest at night so that it regains all the strength needed to push you through the day. You’ll witness promising results once you step up your sleep game!
How Can You Get Better Sleep?
The first thing we recommend when it comes to better sleep is investing in high quality luxury bedding. We like percale sheets as they are the most breathable and best at regulating temperature. The percale sheets we like best are Sweave’s eucalyptus Tencel sheets. Sweave’s cooling sheets are actually built using the optimal combination of eucalyptus Tencel and Egyptian cotton which gives the sheets a perfect matte finish and luxurious feel. And they also offer a 100 night trial. Check out their story here.
