Lack of sleep is a serious stress to the body

Serious lack of sleep activates the immune system by simulating an immediate reaction of immunity to the effects of stress on the body. This is the conclusion of the Dutch and British scientists who hope that the results of their work will help to explain the link between chronic sleep deprivation and health problems.

Researchers from the Netherlands and the UK compared the analyses on the number of white blood cells in healthy men under normal conditions and in conditions of extreme lack of sleep. The greatest changes occurred with the number of granulocytes, indicating a violation of the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. Their levels were increased significantly at night.

It was attended by 15 volunteers who slept eight hours a night during the week. In the first 90 minutes after waking up they were asked to sit in the sun at least 15 minutes, and to abstain from caffeine, alcohol and medication. This was done to stabilize the circadian rhythm and minimize sleep deprivation. Blood tests for white blood cells compared with the test results obtained in the second phase of the experiment, when men were asked not to sleep for 29 hours.

"Granulocytes instantly respond to physical stress as a result of lack of sleep, and this reaction mimicked the body's response to stress," concluded the authors. In their view, future research will help to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this response, and indicate their role in the development of diseases associated with chronic sleep deprivation.

Previous studies have already pointed to the link between lack of sleep and the development of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and disorders in the immune system.

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