Study: A good night's sleep can prevent a cold

Pennsylvania, United States, January 13: Do you get your eight hours of good night sleep? If no, you are three times more likely to catch a cold as compared to those who get eight or more hours of sleep, according to a new U.S. study.

The lead author of the study, Sheldon Cohen, PhD, of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, said, "The really striking thing about this study for us is how little differences in sleep can have a big impact on your susceptibility."

Researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania looked at the sleep routines of more than 150 healthy young and middle-aged men and women for two weeks. The subjects were exposed to the common cold virus. For the next five days, the scientist kept track of cold symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, and runny nose and measured the amount of mucus, the subjects produced.

Cohen and team found that subjects who got eight hours of nightly shuteye, were 2.94 times less likely to catch a cold than those who slept seven or less hours a night. Subjects, who spent most of the time in bed tossing and turning, were five times more likely to catch a cold than those who fell asleep right away.

Sheldon Cohen and colleagues wrote in the report, “Participants were interviewed daily over a two-week period, reporting how many hours they slept per night, what percentage of their time in bed was spent asleep (sleep efficiency) and whether they felt rested."

"The less an individual slept, the more likely he or she was to develop a cold, " according to the authors of the study.

The study which appears in the Jan. 12 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, also shows that good sleeping habits help support a healthy immune systemdefine and slashes the chances of more serious conditions like heart disease.

Past studies show that lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. The study author said that research has shown individuals who exercise regularly, have lower stress and drink in moderation also get fewer colds.