ANCSLEEP BLOG

The Relationship Between Your Immune System and Sleep

The immune system and sleep are intimately connected. Sleep loss impacts immune response and, in turn, immune system failures impact sleep. If one is trying to avoid getting sick, consistent quantiful and quality sleep is one of the best ways to prevent illness and ensure optimal recovery.

Molecules called cytokines are signaling molecules in the immune system and the brain. Sleep deprivation decreases the body’s production of cytokines and inhibits immune response to illnesses, such as:

• Flu
• Colds
• Chronic illness

Specifically, a lack of sleep prevents the immune system from building up its forces, meaning that it will be overloaded by illness and likely take longer to recover.

During illness, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines correspond with increased fatigue, which is why fatigue is a symptom of illness – it’s the body’s way shutting down to sleep for a quicker recovery.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially serious medical condition and sleeping disorder that can lead to severe sleep deprivation. OSA causes repeated cessations in breathing throughout the night, anywhere from 5-30 times per hour. This happens because the muscles in the back of the throat relax at night, blocking the airway. With each pause, the body must wake up to begin breathing again, however, the sleeper normally does not remember these events. Each blockage/arousal cycle is called an apnea or apnea event. Therefore, they awake each morning very tired but are unsure why.

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Sex

Sleep deprivation can greatly affect a male’s sexual drive. Specifically, it can quickly result in Erectile Dysfunction (ED). The relationship between ED and sleep is often unknown and can be a source of hope for those who struggled to find a solution. 

Sleep deprivation is caused by a deficiency in the number of hours of sleep, which for adults is anything less than 7-9 hours per day. A few nights of sleep deprivation is not likely to cause ED, only decreased libido. However, chronic sleep deprivation, such as sleep deprivation caused by sleep disorders, can cause ED in men.

Sleep and Age

Your sleep needs are largely moderated by a single factor; age. Age dictates the amount of sleep that one needs, and will also dictate sleep cycles, or circadian rhythm. This is an important consideration when trying to determine the appropriate amount of sleep because sleep loss can occur through:  

• You are not sleeping long enough during the night
• You are not sleeping in sync with your circadian rhythm

Outside of age, there are other personal factors that can impact the amount of sleep that one needs. Lifestyle, number of kids, work schedule, etc. can all impact the amount of sleep necessary. In this blog post, we are going to discuss sleep requirements for children and adults, and how sleep changes over time.

Chronic Fatigue Troubles

Chronic fatigue can have a profound effect on life quality. For those who suffer from chronic fatigue, they are very aware of how problematic chronic fatigue is. For those struggling with chronic fatigue, they often wonder why? 

There are many causes for chronic fatigue: life factors, stress, disease, and sleep disorders are the most common. Some causes may be short-term, such as an overwhelming project or busy schedule. It's often easier to identify these situations as reasons for fatigue. However, underlying sleep disorders, which are also a common cause, may be harder to detect. 

Sleep deprivation can have the following negative effects: 

• Lowers life expectancy
• Lowers quality of life
• Lowers performance in all areas of life (mental, emotional, physical)

Let’s look at common sleep disorders that cause chronic fatigue and lead to sleep deprivation.

The Pain Epidemic

In the United States, there is an epidemic of chronic pain. The 2015 Sleep in AmericaTM Poll found that 21% of Americans experience chronic pain. It also found that 36 percent of people have experienced acute pain in the last week. Some contributing to this pain epidemic are:

• Sitting all day at desk jobs is not good for our health
• Increased inactivity due to increased screen time
• Obesity
• Stress
• Injuries from sports and high activity
• Genetics and inherit weak backs, necks, knees, etc.

Obviously, pain is an issue because it makes life miserable.

Why Sleep Prevents Sickness

Sleep loss impacts your immune response and, in turn, your immune system alters your sleep. Sleep is one of your primary defenses against getting sick, as it helps ensure that your immune response is optimal and effective.

 The relationship between sleep and the immune system are molecules called cytokines. Cytokines act as signaling molecules in the immune system and the brain. Sleep loss decreases your body’s production of protective cytokines.

During illness, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines correspond with increased fatigue, which is why you feel tired when you are sick – it’s your body’s way of telling you to sleep more and recover quicker from your illness.

What is a CPAP Machine?

A CPAP device/machine stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. A CPAP machine is a small, rectangular box with a motorized fan inside and an adjacent humidifier. It is the primary tool used in CPAP therapy and is considered the gold standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Connected to the CPAP device is a flexible tube that leads to a breathing mask. The hose is lightweight and kept warm in order to reduce condensation. Among other things, too much condensation can lead to sanitation problems like, mold growth.

Finally, the primary component in CPAP machines is a small fan. The small fan inside delivers gentle, positive pressure through a connected hose to the breathing mask. This results in a reduction of lapses of breathing at night because the positive air pressure keeps your airway open. The pressure can be a little strange at first, but it’s rare that people report any long-term problems associated with it.

Recent advances in CPAP technology have dramatically improved the performance, usability, and comfort of CPAP machines, and they are far and above the most popular treatment to OSA.

Frequent Urination: What is Nocturia?

Do you get up frequently during the night to urinate? The term for this is nocturia, of frequent urination throughout the night that requires you to wake up. This is a problem because the frequent rousing can interfere with your sleep cycle and lead to sleep deprivation.

Nocturia is a common cause of sleep loss. People without nocturia can usually go 6 to 8 hours of sleeping without having to urinate. Getting up once per night is likely not going to cause problems. Getting up 2-3 times per night is likely to cause daytime sleepiness. Nocturia may require one to get up 4-6 times or more, potentially leading to severe sleep deprivation [Sleep Foundation].

How Much Are We In Pain?

Pain-related sleep loss is a common problem in society. The 2015 Sleep in AmericaTM Poll found that 21% of Americans experience chronic pain. It also found that 36% of people have experienced acute pain in the last week.

The question is why are people in so much pain? Some contributing factors include:

• Sitting all day at a desk is not good for our health
• Increased screen time leads to less physical activity
• Obesity epidemic 
• Stress
• Sports and high activity that lead to injuries
• Genetics 

With so many people experiencing pain, there is a high likelihood that they are also experiencing sleeplessness as pain and sleep are closely related. Continue reading to learn more about the impact of pain on sleep.