Dr. Michael J. Breus: This Is Your Immune System On Sleep Deprivation

Dr. Michael J. Breus: This Is Your Immune System On Sleep Deprivation

You've probably heard about how significant a role stress is believed to play in the development of illness and disease. The immune system, the body's defense system against infection and disease, is weakened and undermined by the physical effects of stress. The result is an increased risk for all types of illness. If you've ever come down with a cold or the flu after a particularly stressful period -- think exam-time or a family crisis -- then you've experienced this firsthand. The long-term effects of stress on the immune system include a heightened risk of serious disease.

Here's some sobering and important news: New research indicates that lack of sleep can be as damaging to the immune system as stress.

An international team of scientists from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom examined the immune response of 15 healthy men under conditions of highly regulated sleep and also under conditions of severe sleep deprivation. What they discovered was a significant disruption to the normal functioning of immune system white blood cells when the men were deprived of sleep. This cellular response to sleep deprivation "directly mirrored the body's stress response," according to a member of the research team and the study's lead author.

The 15 adult men, all of whom were under the age of 30 and in good health, were put on a highly-regimented sleep schedule for one full week. This included a nightly eight hours of sleep, and early-in-the-day exposure to sunlight -- 15 minutes of outdoor light exposure within 90 minutes of waking. During the last three days of the week, the men consumed no caffeine or alcohol, and they were prohibited from using any medication. This schedule helped to diminish any sleep deprivation that existed among the men and also to strengthen and regulate their circadian clocks.

After this sleeping week was completed, researchers measured and analyzed the numbers and functioning levels of the men's white blood cells. (White blood cells are one of the major cell types of the immune system.) The men were then subjected to a period of extreme sleep deprivation, staying awake for 29 straight hours without any sleep. Researchers again measured white blood cell activity after this period of prolonged sleep deprivation. They found that white blood cell counts rose significantly after sleep deprivation, particularly a type of white blood cell called granulocytes, one of the most common and important cells in the immune system. This spike in white cell count from sleep deprivation essentially mimicked the physical response the body undergoes during episodes of stress, when white cell counts surge in a "fight-or-flight" type of stress response.

There's a substantial body of evidence that stress weakens the immune system and makes us vulnerable to infection and disease -- everything from a sniffly nose or a cough and cold to serious and chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. This relationship between psychological distress and physical illness is at the heart of the mind-body relationship that has received so much attention -- deservedly so -- in recent decades.

We've also known for some time of a relationship between sleep and a healthy immune system, and the damage that a lack of sleep can have. Previous research has established links between sleep deprivation and immune function:

• There's a significant body of research to show that immune function is tied closely to the body's 24-hour circadian clock. When sleep is deprived, this cycle is weakened and disrupted, and the immune system suffers.
• Many studies -- including the current one -- use exposure to extreme sleep deprivation to identify and analyze sleep-related disruptions to the immune system. But this research showed that even mild sleep deprivation was associated with deterioration in immune function.
• The impact of even a few nights of disrupted sleep on immune function can linger even after sleep levels have improved. This study found disruptions to immune function after just two nights of full sleep deprivation, or four nights of partial sleep deprivation. Researchers continued to monitor immune function during a sleep recovery period. They found that while some cells involved in immune activity returned to their normal levels after several nights of recovery sleep, other immune system cells did not.

This new study, by linking the physical response of sleep deprivation to that of stress, brings additional clarity and also urgency to our understanding of just how dangerous sleep deprivation can be to our body's most basic defense system.

We continue to hear a lot about how important it is to manage stress in order to live a healthy life. Turns out, it is every bit as important to manage sleep.

Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor™
www.thesleepdoctor.com

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Mary Pritchard: How To Stop Fear Before It Starts

Mary Pritchard: How To Stop Fear Before It Starts

I recently posted a blog on stopping fear before it starts. For many people, though, this is much easier said than done. And as I pointed out, after 20, 30, 40, or 50-plus years of conditioning your own fear response, it can take some time to undo.

What should you do in the meantime? I have a few suggestions. In this week's blog, we'll discuss the first: proactive coping. Proactive coping is an upfront effort to ward off your fears and potential stressors. So in other words, instead of stopping fear in its tracks, you are stopping it before it even starts. Sounds good, right?

So how do you do that? The first thing you need to figure out is how susceptible you are to the potential stressors in your life. Some of us seem to be stress magnets, whereas others seem to fly through their days without a care in the world (I really envy those people, too). What makes one person more susceptible to stress than others? There are a number of things involved, but it boils down to how healthy you are to begin with. Do you avoid tobacco? Get enough sleep? Eat healthily? The idea is this: The more worn down your body is from the daily grind, the less likely it is you'll be able to deal with potential stressors.

The fix, then, is relatively simple. Do more things on this list to increase your health. According to the research, here are the six things that are the most important:

• 1. SELF-COMPLEXITY

  <strong>I know, I know, anything with the word "complex" in it makes you think of psychobabble, and "complexity" makes you think people are just making things more complicated than they have to be. But bear with me. Self-complexity means that we each have a number of roles in our lives -- we are fathers, daughters, brothers, wives, mentors, employees, bosses, students, grandparents.... The list goes on. And it's a really good thing it does. To put it all in perspective, how much does that presentation you're giving at work really matter in the grand scheme of things? I'm not saying that you should blow it off -- by all means, give it your all -- but is it really more important than your daughter's fifth birthday party? To <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-greatest-of-these-is-love-an-introduction-to-the-series" target="_hplink">paraphrase theologian John Piper</a>, no one lies on their deathbed saying, "I wish I'd worked more." The bottom line: Don't sweat the small stuff, because you are so much more than whatever it is you're afraid of. </strong>

• 2. RELAXATION

  <strong>The relaxation response is diametrically opposed to the fight-or-flight response. You can't be freaked out and relaxed at the same time -- it's not physiologically possible. The cool thing is that you can train yourself to relax in the face of potential stressors, reconditioning your stress response to be a relaxation response. Similarly, <a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/07/25/research-uncovers-yogas-stress-reduction-secrets/42192.html" target="_hplink">people who use relaxation techniques like meditation on a regular basis are less vulnerable to potential stressors</a>. You know those days off work you get every week? Try actually taking them off! You might be amazed at what happens to your stress levels.</strong>

• 3. HUMOR

  <strong>The ability to laugh at life can go a long way toward mitigating the stress response. In fact, the immune system improves after watching 60 minutes of a funny video; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11253418" target="_hplink">the effects</a> last up to 12 hours! Maybe mom was right: Laughter really <em>is</em> the best medicine. Regardless, take advantage of those sitcoms, stand-up comedians, and anything else that makes you chuckle. Your body will thank you for it.</strong>

• 4. EXERCISE

  <strong>I talked last time about how going for a run when you're stressed can help because you're giving your body exactly what it thinks it needs (flight). As with the relaxation response, it turns out that regular exercise can help you better deal with potential stressors before they happen. Don't have time to exercise? You don't have to run a marathon. Try parking a little farther away from the grocery store entrance, taking the stairs at the office, or getting up 10 minutes earlier to do some yoga. A little goes a long way when it comes to stress prevention.</strong>

• 5. SOCIAL SUPPORT

  <strong>The importance of having an adequate social support network cannot be emphasized enough. It's not the quantity of relationships that matter, it's the quality. Having even one person you can count on in a time of need plays a critical role in buffering the harmful effects of stress on the body. It may also offer what is known as the "direct effect," helping you prevent the fight-or-flight response before it occurs. This is because your network of friends can help you solve problems before they even become problems, thus stopping the stress from occurring. So go ahead and vent. Your friends just might give you the solution you need to your latest issue. </strong>

• 6. OPTIMISM

  <strong>Do you look at the glass as being half-full or half-empty? If you said "half-full," good for you! Like social support, having an optimistic life orientation can help dampen the effects of stress on your body. Optimists are also<a href="http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/ccarver/documents/10_CPR_Optimism.pdf" target="_hplink"> less likely to report feeling distressed</a> than their more pessimistic counterparts. So smile more and think positively. No one likes a downer, anyway.</strong>

In sum, if you want to become fearless, you need to take care of your health first. Your body won't be able to ward off or cope with potential stressors well if you don't take care of yourself. So go talk to a friend, watch a funny movie, run a mile. Becoming fearless has never been so easy!

Stay tuned for the next installment: "Coping with stressors after they've occurred" or, "I just screwed up. Now what?"

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Healthy Eating Tips From Olympic Mountain Biker Georgia Gould

Healthy Eating Tips From Olympic Mountain Biker Georgia Gould

Welcome to our "Like An Olympian" series. During the 2012 London Olympics, HuffPost Healthy Living will take a look at lifestyle and fitness lessons from competitors, coaches and former Olympians alike.

As the reigning American cross country mountain biking national champion and second-place finisher at the 2011 London test event, Georgia Gould is poised for greatness at the 2012 Olympic Games.

A member of the LUNA Chix Pro Team since 2006, Gould has been riding mountain bikes since 1999 and finished eighth at the 2008 Olympics.

We asked her some questions about what it takes to train for the biggest race of her life -- and what you can learn from her, even if you've only biked around the block.

What have you learned through your Olympic training that you carry over into your everyday fitness routine?

The biggest thing I have learned over the years is the importance of staying fresh mentally. Sometimes certain workouts just seem way more daunting than others. I have a great coach, and we work hard to make sure that I am motivated for my workouts in order to get the most out of them. In the off-season, I like to take a break from the bike and run, ski or do other stuff.

How important is nutrition in your training?

I think nutrition is really important. I don't like taking vitamins and supplements -- I prefer to get my nutrition from real food. I like cooking and eating, and I eat really well, even when I'm not training and racing.

I make sure I eat right after training or racing, and I try to incorporate carbs and protein to help my body recover from those hard efforts. People always ask me if I have a strict diet, but really I just use common sense. I find it is important to be flexible, especially since I travel so much. I have tried being really strict about my diet, but it didn't work for me: I need balance and I like to be able to eat whatever I want in moderation.

What are some healthy eating staples for you?

It sort of depends on what my body is craving. But for lunch, I love a big salad. I throw in whatever I have on hand and whatever sounds good: lettuce, carrots, avocado, tomato, olives, a little feta cheese and sometimes a can of sardines or wild salmon. Leftover roasted veggies often end up in my salads, too.

I also love eggs. I take some kind of greens (spinach, arugula, etc.) and whatever else I feel like (zucchini, mushrooms, sausage, peppers) and saute them for a few seconds. Then I make a few little nests, crack an egg in each one, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and maybe some good quality cheese. Then I turn the heat down and throw a lid on the pan until the eggs are cooked the way I like them (a little runny). I usually eat that with some toast and maybe a little avocado on the side. If I'm short on time, I just scramble everything together and it's still pretty delicious!

I snack on things like sliced apples with peanut butter, toast (I make my own bread!), yogurt with homemade granola and berries and my favorite LUNA Bar, the Chocolate Dipped Coconut flavor.

How important is sleep in your training? What do you do to ensure you are rested for a race?

Sleep is very important. When I am traveling, I sleep with earplugs and an eye mask to ensure that I get quality sleep (I call it my "total isolation chamber"). That said, there are definitely nights when I have trouble sleeping because I am excited and/or nervous. When that happens, I try not to stress about it, because that only makes it worse. I focus on relaxing, and eventually I fall asleep.

Any other tips for managing pre-race nerves?
Embrace it. Nerves are good -- being nervous means you care, and it helps you to push a little harder when you need to. Be excited that you are nervous, and let that motivate you! Also, have a routine. A race-day routine like eating breakfast, packing your race gear and warming up gives you structure and keeps you from being scattered or chaotic. A familiar routine allows you to focus and relax (while still embracing your nervousness!). When I have a lot of free time leading up to a race, I find it useful to stay busy and distract myself. I read, do crossword puzzles, play games or chat with a teammate to keep myself from obsessing about the race.

For more from our "Like An Olympian" series, click here.

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