We have learned over the last few weeks the importance of physical activity as well as a whole-food, plant-based diet in reducing the risks of COVID-19.  What about the other pillars of Lifestyle Medicine?  Take sleep for example. 

We know that sleep has many benefits to health.  Sleep provides an opportunity for the brain to clean up after all the phrenetic activity of thinking and subconscious neural exertion.  The brain consumes almost one quarter of all the kilojoules we burn up each day through all the brain’s electrical activity. 

This produces a huge amount of waste products which need to be eliminated to clean up the brain environment and get rid of free radicals and oxidants.  That is the function of the micro-glial cells of the brain. The second function of sleep in terms of brain health is to file away memories and information in an organised way to facilitate access to that memory in the future. 

  If there is insufficient sleep each night, the filing system becomes jumbled leading to poor recall.  Sleep is vitally important for healthy brain function.

It is no wonder that adequate restful sleep is an important contributor to reducing the risk of dementia.

If sleep is good for brain memory recall, studies have also shown that sleep is good for immunological memory.  An article in the January 2021 Sleep Diagnosis and Therapy suggest you should have at least 2 nights of full sleep before receiving your COVID vaccine, followed by several more nights of sufficient sleep to minimise, or avoid any negative side effects of the vaccination, and imprint its memory on the immune system. 

In another article, adequate sleep has been found to increase immunological memory to an invading virus and develop a quicker and more potent antibody response following a vaccination against that virus. Here is a good overview of the role of sleep in enhancing our immune system, and more importantly, how sleep deprivation can inhibit our defences. What are some ways to improve your sleep hygiene?

• Try to organise your life into a regular programme.
• Waking up at a regular time, and exposure in the mornings to bright sunlight sets your body clock – your circadian rhythm.
• If you are going through stressful events, have a pen and pad next to your bed to jot down “to do” lists if you wake up stewing in the night. That way you give your brain the opportunity to relax
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet, and comfortable.
• Avoid alcohol or coffee late in the evening
• Avoid a big meal late at night.
• Avoid “blue light” before going to bed – as in TV’s or other screens

Who would have thought that something as basic as sleep could impact our ability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic?  Inadequate sleep also contributes to increased risk of heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and obesity – all well known co-morbidities to severe COVID-19. 

Although you may not reverse these conditions through a few nights of 7 hours restful sleep, it may be a way to begin your journey of restoring health in the long term and perhaps improving your immunity in the short term.

Until next time, instead of stressing over what might be, be thankful for what you do have at the present – family, friends, health, beauty, senses, and above all hope.

Dave Glass

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