Just one sleepless night, and the immune system falters

Hours spent tossing and turning, unsure of what to do with obsessive thoughts, unable to close your eyes: sleepless nights dampen the mood as much as they affect one's health. Just one prolonged insomnia, and it's the immune system that takes a hit.

According to a recent Kuwaiti study from the Dasman Diabetes Institute, published in the Journal of Immunology, just one sleepless night can change the composition of immune cells, leading to an increased risk of chronic inflammation in the long term.

The research shows that our immune system is particularly sensitive to sleep variations, reports Belgian media RTBF. And if sleep deprivation becomes regular, it could lead to a chronic inflammatory state and increase the risks of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and even obesity.

Impact on monocytes

While the consequences of insomnia on immune cells (especially monocytes) remain unclear, the researchers decided to tackle the issue head-on by studying 237 healthy adults of varying body mass indices. As a reminder, monocytes play an essential role in what is known as innate immunity, protecting our body from infections, ridding it of damaged cells, and regulating inflammation.

The team of scientists focused on the monocytes of 237 adults. During the analyses, they observed a decrease in so-called "classical" monocytes, which are responsible for immune surveillance, and an increase in "non-classical" monocytes, known to produce inflammatory substances, notes RTBF. The most surprising? The study highlights that this increase in "non-classical" monocytes wasn't solely linked to body weight. Disrupted sleep in slim participants triggers the same inflammatory response.

Conclusion: lack of sleep is enough to weaken our immune system. Just one sleepless night is enough to trigger an inflammatory reaction in the body.

A public health issue

To prevent these sleep disorders, Dr Fatema Al-Rashed, lead author of the study, also recommends reducing screen time, as the omnipresent light they shed wreaks havoc on our sleep cycles. "[This disruption] has profound implications for immune health and overall well-being," she states in a release. Because sleep isn't just a simple rest period, it acts as a true regulator of our immune system.

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source: RTBF - Illustration: ©Unsplash)