Poor Sleep Patterns May Increase Risk for the Common Cold

Abbreviated or disturbed sleep may make you more susceptible to colds, Archives of Internal Medicine reports

18 jan 2009--Some 150 volunteers recorded their sleep duration and sleep efficiency (defined as the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed) every day for 2 weeks. They were then quarantined and challenged with a rhinovirus.

During the next 5 days, the risk for developing a cold was about three times higher among participants who'd averaged less than 7 hours' sleep a night (vs. 8 or more), and nearly six times higher for those with less than 92% sleep efficiency (vs. 98% or more).

Good night!

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Archives of Internal Medicine article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)