Cold Prevention: To Stave Off The Common Cold, Get Good Night's Sleep!

As flu season rears its ugly head once again, many people are stocking up their medicine cabinets and popping vitamin C with hopes of avoiding the common cold. But the solution might come down to something much simpler than that: getting a good night's sleep.

According to a study fromThe Archives of Internal Medicine, the quality and duration of sleep greatly influence one's susceptibility to the common cold. That's right, it's not just how much sleep you get -- quality of sleep matters just as much, if not more.

The study tested two factors, duration -- the time spent attempting sleep (turn off the lights and lay in bed) and efficiency (the percentage of time actually asleep, when the body is unconsciously resting, dreaming, etc). Results suggested that efficiency was more of a predictor of illness than duration.

Participants were quarantined and monitored for cold development. The study found that people who got less than seven hours of sleep were roughly three times more likely to develop a cold than those with who got eight hours or more. And people who reported high efficient sleep --better quality -- were five times less likely to develop the common cold than those who reported lower efficient sleep levels.

For more information read the complete study at The Archives of Internal Medicine.

Comments

[MikeyJaii]

05:54 PM on 12/29/2010

I've been lacking sleep lately, it takes me a good hour to two hours to fall asleep. Anyone can recommend what I can do to fall asleep faster?

[Laurence Girard]

01:08 AM on 12/28/2010

Great article. I loved it. It's important for people to realize that Vitamin C is not going to stop them from getting the common cold. I wrote a post about it too here: http://applebananacoconut.com/2010/12/24/vitamin-c-quick-facts/

[ArtisticSavant]

05:51 AM on 12/19/2010

I agree but disagree... Disagree: When I used to be in the corporate world (ugh!) and had a fully-packed schedule, I could have a cold and just get on with my day feeling lousy or just let my body do what it does naturally...it's not the first cold and won't be the last - my body can deal with it and I can do my work. But if I had a busy 6 weeks or so and then took 3 days off and slept in, vegged around the house, etc..100% certainty is that I would come down with something - cold, flu, etc. It's like it was just waiting there inside for me to stop so it can take over. And I would be basically debilitated - just standing up would be too much to endure.

But in agreement with this article, I've found (now that I'm completely away from the rat race) that just maintaining the same type of schedule, diet, sleep habits, exercise regime keeps me healthy. the key for me is a daily walk in fresh air especially early mornings or just before bed.

[dartagnan]

10:16 PM on 12/17/2010

Sleep not only helps prevent colds but also helps you recover from them faster. Of course in today's American workplace you're expected to come to work unless you're three-fourths dead, so getting adequate bed rest isn't an option for many, so they just drag their @$$es in to the office, taking weeks to recover -- and infecting their co-workers in the meantime.

[Nelson Montana]

08:40 AM on 12/17/2010

And in other breaking news -- it's been discovered that water is wet.

[sabelmouse]

07:25 AM on 12/17/2010

yes it can. i have often been drawn back from the precipice by a good night sleep or thrown over the cliff by the lack thereof.

[Max Shaw]

05:48 PM on 12/16/2010

I think this falls under the catergory of 'common sense.' Im pretty sure most people already knew this. Next we will find out 'Vitamin C Does Wonders For The Immune System.' I haven't heard of a Dr. who would recommend running around or playing Nintento Wii if youre feeling sick. Overexertion will obviously make you recover slower than resting and sleeping.

[sabelmouse]

07:26 AM on 12/17/2010

i find that too.

[vippy]

03:02 PM on 12/16/2010

I take Vitamin C two times a day and one zinc and I am immune to any cold though I am surrounded by sniffling adults and students. 

[wm1066]

01:41 PM on 12/16/2010

I can buy this, its like any animal that has been injured will just remain quite, marshaling his forces.I spent about 2 hours out in the cold up here in Minnesota yesterday and I made sure I went to bed early and got alot of rest. I have also noticed if I get upset I will wake up in the night and it will take me awhile to get back to sleep so I make sure I go to bed early or I can sleep in the next day. Anytime you take an injury, emotional or physical it helps to remain quite and to get alot of sleep.