Studies come and go to remind us that not getting enough sleep is bad for your health. These new findings show that poor sleep and poor sleep increases the risk of catching a cold fourfold.
Researchers at the University of California (United States) conducted a study with 164 participants who agreed to be in contact with the common cold virus. The scientists analyzed, thanks to questionnaires, the level of stress, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Their sleep patterns were also observed and analyzed before the study.
Then these volunteers were locked in a hotel room in which the cold virus was present. The results of this experiment showed that people who slept less than six hours a night during the previous week were 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold than those who enjoyed nights of more than seven hours’ sleep. Participants who slept less than five hours a night are even 4.5 times more likely to be affected by this virus.
“Lack of sleep was the biggest difference factor,” said Aric Prather, study director, researcher at the University of California. “It didn’t matter how old people were, their stress level, race, education or income. It didn’t matter whether they smoked or not. With all of these parameters taken into account, the amount of sleep was the most important factor. important, “he said.
Sleep disorders, a public health problem
Sleep disorders today affect 20% of the population of industrialized countries. They are responsible for a large number of health disorders. Indeed, sleep deficiency can be responsible for car accidents, industrial disasters, metabolic disorders, and heart problems. In addition, people who lack sleep have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity and cancer. They also experience increased early mortality. More than a third of French people (34%) have consulted a specialist for their sleep disorders, according to a recent Opinion Matters survey for Withings, a company that manufactures the Withings Aura smart alarm clock.
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