Forty winks benefits immunity

POWER naps have long been favoured by those who fancy an energy boost when they’re flagging during the day.

But researchers have found that a quick forty winks can also help cancel out any ill-effects caused by a serious lack of sleep the night before. Shutting your eyes for just half an hour can tackle stress and bolster the immune system by restoring levels of key hormones and proteins, French scientists found. This may help shift workers or insomnia sufferers, who experts say are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.

The study by the University Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité examined a group of 11 healthy men between 25 and 32. During one session, the men were limited to two hours of sleep for one night.

For the other session, they were able to take two 30minute naps the day after their sleep was restricted to two hours. Findings revealed that after a night of limited sleep, the men had a 2.5-fold increase in levels of norepinephrine, a hormone involved in the body’s response to stress that increases the body’s heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar. Researchers found no change in norepinephrine levels when the men had napped following a night of limited sleep.

A snooze also restored levels of interleukin-6, a protein found in saliva that has antiviral properties, suggesting naps can be beneficial for the immune system.

“The findings support the development of practical strategies for addressing sleep-deprived populations, such as night and shift workers.” – Daily Mail