Losing sleep can be bad for your health, according to the editors of Men's Health magazine.
It's already been widely reported that sleep-deprived people are much more likely to fall asleep at the wheel of a car, putting themselves and others at great risk. Now, new research says that people who lose even a few hours sleep are more likely to get sick.Researchers at the University of California found a 28 percent drop in immune system strength when 23 patients were kept awake for four hours during their regular sleep time.
Scientists think that a weakened immune system, along with stress, exposure to airborne germs, and fatigue can combine to lower resistance to outside invaders that cause influenza and common colds.
In the University of California study, the patients' immune systems returned to full strength after one full night of sleep.