Dr Michael Mosley on the importance of routine for sleep
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The doctor explained that he isn’t the only one struggling with sleepless nights. A third of Britons battle sleep problems regularly. However, this statistic rose to one in two – the “highest it has ever been” – during the coronavirus pandemic. But what does this mean for our health?
When it comes to your immunity, vitamin C isn’t the only factor that plays an important role.
Dr Mosley said: “Getting plenty of deep slow-wave sleep helps to improve the immune system and our ability to fight infections.”
There are four stages of sleep in total, with stage three being marked by “taller” waves also known as slow waves.
The doctor, assisted by Dr Rachel Sharman, shared that this third stage is important when it comes to your health.
As a part of the documentary, Dr Mosley wore a gadget that tracked how much of each sleep stage he was getting.
Wrapped around his head, 750 mg green tea extract reviews he set off for a night’s sleep only to get an “alarming” revelation – Dr Mosley kept waking up.
Dr Sharman told him: “When we add up all of these awakenings that you had, you are only spending 75 percent of the time in bed asleep.”
However, she explained that anything over 30 minutes awake is “problematic”.
“All too often these awakenings are preventing me from reaching the stage of deep sleep,” Dr Mosley noted.
The other expert shared why reaching that stage is crucial. Dr Sharman said: “We need our deep sleep to detoxify the brain.
“It is our brain’s laundry system – it flashes out all the toxins.
“If we’re not sleeping enough, we’re putting ourselves at higher risk of all sorts of nasty things like cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction and even cancer.”
The Sleep Foundation explained that getting enough “high-quality” sleep allows your immunity to be strong and adaptive.
The non-profit corporation penned: “Researchers have found that during nightly sleep, certain components of the immune system rev up.
“For example, there is an increased production of cytokines associated with inflammation.
“This activity appears to be driven both by sleep and by circadian rhythm, which is the body’s 24-hour internal clock.
“When someone is ill or injured, this inflammatory response may help with recovery, fortifying innate and adaptive immunity as the body works to repair wounds or fight off an infection.”
Furthermore, Dr Mosley’s documentary revealed that just one sleepless night puts your immune system into “overdrive”.
Professor Simon Archer, who analysed the doctor’s blood samples after a sleepless night said: “If your immune system is in overdrive when it shouldn’t be, that’s not a good thing.
“It’s bad for you because you haven’t got pathogens that you need to respond to.”
The Sleep Foundation concluded: “Given the importance of sleep for immune function, making it a priority to get a sufficient amount of uninterrupted sleep every night can work to strengthen your immune system.”
This can be done through routines, sleeping environment and even the right mattress.
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