How Sleep Boosts Immune Function
When you aren’t feeling well, how often are you told to “get some rest”? There is a reason we need sleep when we are sick! Sleep and the immune system have a bidirectional relationship. Basically, sleep affects the immune system and the immune response system affects sleep.
In this article, we dive into what is really going on in your body when you are snoozing and the importance of sleep on immune function.
Why is the Immune System Important?
When your immune system is in tip-top shape, you won’t even notice it working hard to protect you around the clock. That being said, when there is something wrong with your immune functioning, you’ll know. Simply put, the immune system is the body's defense against infection. The immune system works by finding the difference between your body’s cells and alien cells, destroying any that could be potentially harmful. Your immune system is constantly looking after you and keeping you healthy so it’s important that you are looking after it too!
Why Sleep is Important
Good sleep is as important to our overall wellness as breathing, drinking water, and eating! When you drift off to the land of counting sheep, your brain and body are busy overseeing a broad variety of biological upkeep. Adequate sleep has ample benefits like boosting memory, keeping you alert, fighting infection, and replenishing your energy. Getting enough quality sleep can protect your emotional, physical and social health and is imperative for your immune health!
How Does Sleep Affect Immune Health?
Sleep provides essential support to your immune functioning. While you are asleep, your immune system releases cytokines (proteins that do a lot of things, one of those being help to promote sleep). Certain cytokines increase when you have inflammation, an infection, or are stressed. Sleep deprivation (or sleeplessness) may decrease the production of these protective cytokines - which interferes with the healthy functioning of immune response.
In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced when you aren't getting enough sleep. Getting more sleep when you are under the weather is paramount to the healing process.
Healthy Sleep Habits for Immune Function
Now that you know how important sleep is for your body’s defense and immune responses, the question is, how can you attain that elusive night's sleep? Focus on the tips below to optimize sleep health and ensure your immune system remains strong:
Quantity - Try and get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. No matter what!
Consistency - Be consistent with your sleep schedule. Try to go to bed around the same time each night and get up around the same time each morning - even on the weekend.
Environment - Keep your sleep environment dark, quiet, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. Create a pre-sleep routine to wind down to get your body into a calm state. We love taking a bath with our new Chamomile Lavender Soaking Salts to feel nice and ready for a restful sleep.
Diet & Exercise - We all love a midnight snack, but avoiding large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime can really help your body get a better quality sleep during the night. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night as well (but try not to exercise right before bed).
Need a Boost?
Both a healthy immune system and a healthy sleep schedule are possible but you might need some help to get there. Sometimes, even if you follow all of the rules for a perfect night's sleep, you still need some additional support. We’ve got you covered, below are a few of the products we’ve crafted specifically to keep your sleep habits and immune system strong:
Defense Drops
Be mindful of what you are putting into your body! Read about beneficial superfoods that can help boost your immune system health here. Our CBD Defense Drops are packed with Vitamin C, Elderberry Extract, CBD Isolate, Ginger Oil, and Ashwagandha Root and are perfect for keeping your immune system in top condition.
Restful Night Capsules & Full Spectrum Restful Night Bites
CBD, in-combination with the right ingredients (such as Melatonin, Gaba, or Magnesium), can lead you closer to the promise of a good night's rest. Vena's Restful Night Capsules are a great isolate option that blend CBD with Melatonin and Magnesium to support a healthy sleep cycle. If you're looking for some deeper sleep, our Full Spectrum Restful Night Bites combine Full Spectrum and Melatonin in the form of a delicious gummy so you can satisfy your sweet-tooth and prepare for a blissful night's rest.
Immune System Armor
Adequate sleep is absolutely vital for good health. When it comes to your whole body health, those 7-9 quality hours of sleep are your armor! Though getting good sleep won’t protect you from everything life throws your way, it enables a well-balanced immune defense so you’re ready to endure whatever comes.
Before your nap, let’s chat! Send us a message at support@venacbd.com or leave a question/comment below.
