Why is sleep so important

We all know sleep is important, but it takes up so much time. Still looming from our waking life, the urge to skimp on sleep can be powerful.
Yet as a new study suggests, even a single night of sleep deprivation may cause significant upheaval in the immune system, potentially contributing to the development of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

There is abundant evidence linking these and other ailments, and abundant evidence suggesting health problems like these are commonly driven by chronic inflammation.

For the new study, researchers from the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait sought to understand the influence of sleep deprivation on circulating immune cells, such as monocytes, and its association with systemic inflammation.
Monocytes are large leukocytes, or white blood cells, which provides the body's first line of defense against intruders. There are three subsets of monocytes in humans: classical, non-classical, and intermediate.

Non-classical monocytes patrol for pathogens in vasculature and extravascular tissues, the study's authors explain, using inflammatory cues to help them regulate the body's immune response.

The researchers recruited healthy Kuwaiti adults with varying body mass indices (BMIs). They analyzed the subjects' sleep patterns, and monitored their blood for levels of different monocyte subsets as well as inflammation markers.

Obese participants had significantly lower sleep quality than leaner participants, the study found, along with higher chronic low-grade inflammation. They also had more non-classical monocytes, which correlated with lower sleep quality and increased pro-inflammatory markers.

In another part of the study, healthy, lean adults submitted blood samples throughout a 24-hour period of sleep deprivation. These were compared to control blood samples taken after the participants had had a few days of refreshing sleep.

Even just 24 hours of sleep deprivation apparently altered the monocyte profiles in lean participants to resemble those of obese participants, a condition the researchers note is known to promote chronic inflammation. Modern civilization conspires to keep us up late.

Future research should continue this examination of the links between sleep deprivation and immune changes. We hope to learn if any interventions might help mitigate this effect, such as structured sleep therapies or guidelines for limiting use of technology.

Workplace reforms and educational campaigns promoting better sleep practices Would be of huge help in supporting this cause, particularly for populations at risk of sleep disruption due to technological and occupational demands.
Ultimately, this could help mitigate the burden of inflammatory diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.