Deprivation of adequate sleep affects human health, for example, it increases weight and increases the body''''''''s resistance to insulin, and so on. A new study has shown that lack of sleep also affects the activity of genes in the body that control important functions such as metabolism, immunity, and internal inflammation. In a previous study, conducted by researchers from the University of Surrey in Britain and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers studied 26 volunteers who were deprived of a good sleep for a week and were allowed to sleep normally the other week, and the researchers collected blood samples after each trial and carried out Analyze it to see the activity of different genes. In the study sample, researchers found that sleeping less than 6 hours affected the activity of more than 700 genes. Also, genes follow through the biological clock a daily rhythm that increases their appearance and activity during certain times of the day (24 hours). The researchers found that the number of genes whose activity increased according to the circadian rhythm decreased from 1,885 to 1,481 genes in the week in which the number of hours of sleep decreased. The results of this study open broad scientific horizons to understand the relationship of lack of sleep with many organic diseases and help to understand the functions of different genes in the body.
And it increases the odds of catching colds
It is scientifically proven that the lack of sleep hours weakens the body''''s immunity against infections and infections. And specialists believe that lack of sleep increases the likelihood of catching colds. This has been proven by several previous studies. From one, researchers looked at the number of hours of sleep of 153 volunteers for two consecutive weeks. After that, the volunteers were isolated in special rooms and were exposed to the common cold virus (Rhinovirus) by placing s in the nose. During the next five days, the researchers monitored the emergence of symptoms of colds in the volunteers, as well as measuring antibodies against the virus in the blood and cultivating nasal secretions. The results are very exciting Researchers have found that sleeping fewer hours increases the likelihood of catching a cold. The results showed that the incidence of colds was three times higher for those who slept less than seven hours compared to those who slept eight hours or more. These results can be explained by the importance of sleep and its effect on the immune system in the body, as the functions of immune cells are impaired, as well as the secretion of substances that affect inflammation. The above shows another reason for the importance of getting adequate sleep, especially for children who are more prone to colds, especially in cold climates.
Preparation: Prof. Dr. Ahmed Salem Bahamam
