Disease rate triples for individuals who sleep less than 7 hours

In these days when infectious diseases such as influenza, coronavirus, the flu, the common cold, and rhinitis are widespread, quality sleep is of great importance. Experts, emphasizing that nighttime sleep has a direct effect on individuals' immune systems both before illness and during treatment processes, warn that sleep duration should not fall below 7 hours per day.

Stating that people who sleep less than 7 hours a day are up to 3 times more likely to get sick, Prof. Dr. Vural Fidan, an Otorhinolaryngology Specialist and head of the Sleep Center at Eskişehir City Hospital, said, "Studies conducted abroad also show that the probability of contracting an illness is 3 times higher for people who sleep less than 7 hours.".

"BODY RESISTANCE DROPS IN PEOPLE WHO SLEEP LESS THAN 7 HOURS"

Stating that individuals can protect themselves from diseases and accelerate the treatment process with healthy sleep, Prof. Dr. Vural Fidan said, “We gained a great deal of experience during the pandemic. Regarding some diseases that we struggle to treat, especially viral diseases, what we need to do is protect our body health, that is, our immune system. In addition to nutrition, sleep patterns are also very important to protect this immune system. It has also been stated in studies conducted abroad that there is a very serious decrease in the immune systems, that is, body resistance, of people who sleep less than 7 hours. Even if they are exposed to the same germs, it is possible for them to get sick 3 times more often the shorter their sleep duration is.

Of course, this is a vicious cycle. Respiratory tract infections, along with airway obstruction, cause the patient's sleep to be interrupted throughout the night and lead to difficulties in maintaining sleep. This prevents patients from entering deep sleep. Unfortunately, the person cannot see the stages of immune system regulation, that is, the organization of body resistance. As nasal congestion or airway obstruction increases, sleep is disrupted. As sleep is disrupted, body resistance drops.

Of course, to break this or to bring it into a routine, we definitely recommend that individuals keep their upper airways open. Nasal cleaning before going to bed is a very important step. Because normally, we need to use our airway by breathing in through our nose and exhaling through our mouth. To ensure this, the nose must be opened and kept open,” he said.

"MANY HORMONES ARE SECRETED DURING NIGHTTIME SLEEP"

Stating that it is of great importance that the 7 hours of daily sleep occur during nighttime hours, but that it can be completed during the day in cases of necessity, Prof. Dr. Fidan used the following expressions: “The process we call sleep is a process that occurs at night in normal individuals. However, it is possible for people who have to work at night or who cannot sleep at night to complete this sleep during the day. But we need to know that daytime sleep is never the same as nighttime sleep.

Because our body's working principle, the working principle of our homeostatic system, ensures that this is active at night. In other words, we know that various hormones, such as growth hormone, different hormones we call happiness hormones, and cortisone hormones that will ensure our body resistance, are secreted towards the early morning hours. Daytime sleep does not actually replace nighttime sleep. But if we are forced to, it is of course possible to make up for nighttime sleep during the day.”