Getting less than six hours of sleep a night can increase your risk of infection, a study has found.
Researchers asked 1,848 people in general practices in Norway how much sleep they got on average each night.
They then asked if they had had a respiratory infection in the past three months, such as B. a cold or stomach flu, a urinary tract infection (UTI), a skin or eye infection, or another type of infection.
Those who reported getting less than six hours of sleep a night were 27 percent more likely to have an infection in the past three months than those who got enough sleep — the recommended seven to eight hours a night.
The study may have been too small to provide clear trends between sleep deprivation and specific infections.
Those who reported getting less than six hours of sleep a night were 27 percent more likely to have an infection in the past three months than those who got enough sleep — the recommended seven to eight hours a night
Researchers from the University of Bergen (pictured) asked 1,848 people in general practices in Norway how much sleep they got on average per night
But the results show that people who got less than six hours of sleep were 92 percent more likely to get a stomach flu with vomiting or diarrhea.
Meanwhile, those with insomnia were 41 percent more likely to get a UTI.
There is some evidence that insufficient sleep makes the immune system less able to fight infection, but more research is needed.
Previous studies have shown that people infected with a cold virus are more likely to catch a cold because they could not fight the virus if they were deprived of sleep.
Dr Ingeborg Forthun, who led the study from the University of Bergen in Norway, said: “Sleep is not only important for people’s well-being, but also for their health, including their body’s ability to fight infection.
“More awareness of the importance of sleep is needed among the general public and physicians.”
The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, found that nearly 54 percent of those surveyed in doctor’s offices had contracted an infection in the past three months.
Those who slept less than six hours were 57 percent more likely to have received antibiotics in the past three months.
The researchers say that sleeping the recommended amount can reduce infections.
However, those who slept more than nine hours had a 44 percent higher risk of getting an infection than those who slept seven to eight hours a night. Sleeping too long can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
