Vitamin ZZZs: Effective way to fight off the flu
November 16, 2009 by Christian SchappelPosted in: Health care, In this week's e-newsletter - benefits, Latest News & Views, Pay and benefits
Haven’t been vaccinated? No problem. Here’s another way to fight off the flu that’s just as effective:
Get a good night’s sleep.
The more you sleep, the less likely you are to come down with a respiratory virus, found researchers at Carnegie Mellon University.
People who sleep less than seven hours a night are three times more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus than those who sleep eight or more hours per night.
Some scientists even say that for adults to maintain a completely healthy immune system they need to get nine and a half hours of sleep every night.
Looks like employees finally have a good excuse to sleep on the job.
Tags: Carnegie Mellon University, flu, sleep
November 19th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I wish I had time for 9.5 hours of sleep every night!
November 19th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I have had a sleep disorder for the past seven years. No doctor, psychiatrist or medication has been able to help me sleep more than one 4 hour cycle per night. I’ve never had a flu shot but take a multivitamin and several additional B vitamins daily. I have not contracted the flu in these years, even when I was employed in a job with constant people contact.
I have been out of work for 8 months and spend most of my time alone. Then, I spent a day tutoring in an elementary school. I contracted something yet to be diagnosed though it doesn’t appear to be the flu.
I am 53 years old. It seems children who have not been exposed to many bacteria or viruses get ill often. If the germs that make children ill have been around for a long time and I became immune to years ago or mutations of those germs is beyond my understanding. A note to physicians: take insomnia seriously especially in parents, teachers and those who have daily contact with children.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I would love to sleep 9.5 hours each night, but I’m not willing to give up the only time I have to read in the evening. Fortunately, I have a strong immune system and don’t often succumb to illness.