Importance of Sleep for your Immune System

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CLEVELAND - With the peak of cold and flu season here, did you know that getting enough sleep can help protect you from getting sick?

“Sleep is critically important to maintaining a healthy immune system, so we need to sleep enough. We also need to have good timing of our sleep – we should have a regular sleep-wake cycle to promote an optimal immune system,” explained Nancy Foldvary, DO, sleep specialist for Cleveland Clinic.

Without enough sleep, Dr. Foldvary said the body doesn’t have enough time to do what it needs to do to maintain the immune system.

Aside from catching a cold, chronic insomnia can increase the risk of developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

It’s important to remember that adults should aim to get at least seven hours of sleep each night, and it’s best to try to fall asleep and wake up at the same time every day.

If you're tossing and turning at night, Dr. Foldvary suggests staying off your phone before bed and checking to see if something like a bad mattress is keeping you up.

She also recommends taking note of any ongoing issues and bringing them up to your doctor.

“If we want to be healthy in the long-term, it's really important to pay attention to our sleep and make sure we're not setting ourselves up to be sleep deprived,” Dr. Foldvary said. “If you have symptoms related to your sleep, like snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness for no clear reason, talk to your doctor because you may need a sleep study or be evaluated by a sleep expert.”

In some cases, Dr. Foldvary said an undiagnosed sleep disorder could be the issue, and addressing it is key to maintaining your overall health.