The Science of Sleep and Immune Health

Key Takeaways:

• Many different factors impact your overall health, with sleep being one of the most important pillars.
• Both short- and long-term sleep deprivation can negatively affect your immune function, but there’s a lot you can do to improve your rest.
• Hatch Restore helps you build calming, consistent routines that support deeper sleep, so you can feel your best each day.

Want to be healthier? Start by getting better sleep. Your immune system, your body’s defense against germs that can make you sick, functions best when you’re getting enough quality sleep. On the flipside, too little deep sleep can impair your immune system, increasing the odds you’ll get sick (and making it hard to recover when you already are).

Understanding the link between sleep and immunity can help you prioritize habits that keep you healthy now and over time. Below, learn how prioritizing sleep can support your immune system, and how Hatch Restore can help you build routines for rest and well-being.

Table of Contents

1. How Sleep Supports a Healthy Immune System
2. Everyday Habits That Support Sleep and Immune Health
3. FAQs
4. References

How Sleep Supports a Healthy Immune System

Your body does important work when you sleep, including strengthening its defenses against germs that can make you sick. When you’re asleep, your immune system makes important proteins called cytokines, which help regulate inflammation and support the body's response to infection. So if you don’t get enough sleep, you may have fewer of these protective immune signals, making it harder to fight off illness. Research shows, for example, that adults who regularly get less than five hours of sleep each night are more likely to develop respiratory infections.

Even short-term sleep loss can increase your susceptibility to common infections and make it more difficult to recover (that’s why rest is often recommended during illness).  Studies show even a few nights of less sleep can affect the body’s ability to mount an antibody response, with less sleep producing weaker responses overall.

Ongoing sleep deprivation can negatively impact your immune system over time, contributing to immune dysregulation and increased inflammation throughout the body. While inflammation helps your body fight off sickness in the short-term, over longer periods, it can increase the risk of many different health concerns, including heart disease and autoimmune conditions.

Everyday Habits That Support Sleep and Immune Health

Understanding how sleep and immune health are related is the first step to making positive changes that can help you feel your best. Building daily routines that support better sleep — and overall health — is a great place to start.

Prioritize a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Your circadian rhythm — the body’s internal clock — loves consistency. When you go to bed and wake up at the same time, you’re sending a signal to your brain that tells it when to release hormones that make you feel energized and sleepy. As much as possible, try to keep your sleep schedule predictable. Over time, you’ll notice it’s easier to fall and stay asleep (and hopefully, easier to wake up feeling refreshed in the morning).

Create a Wind-Down Routine

Your nervous system needs a cue to shift gears from a busy day to a calmer state. A calming bedtime routine can help. A few hours before bedtime, try to reduce stimulation to help your mind and body transition to rest. When you start your bedtime routine — ideally, 20 or 30 minutes before bed — put away your phone and focus on activities that feel cozy and calm, like journaling, stretching, a hot shower, or a podcast or bedtime story on your Hatch Restore. Repeating this same routine each evening can signal to your brain that sleep is approaching.

Optimize Your Sleep Environment

Your sleep space also plays a big role in your ability to get quality rest. Keep your bedroom cool and dark to support your circadian rhythm (blackout curtains or even a snug-fitting sleep mask can be a huge help). Keeping your phone charging outside your bedroom can reduce the temptation to scroll, which can also keep you awake (thanks, blue light). No need to worry about your phone alarm — Hatch Restore has a gentle sunrise alarm that helps you ease into the morning, phone-free.

Keep Up With Healthy Daytime Habits

While sleep is one important piece of the puzzle, other healthy habits — like physical activity, balanced nutrition, and stress management — also support your short- and long-term health, including your immune system function. As a bonus, maintaining these healthy routines can also create a positive cycle in which sleep and overall wellness support one another — so you can wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and more like yourself each day.

Learn how Hatch Restore can support your well-being through better sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does sleeping more when you're sick help you recover faster?

Sleep gives your body time to carry out many of the processes involved in recovery, including tissue repair and immune activity. While sleep isn't a cure, getting adequate rest may help your body respond more effectively to illness.

Can one night of poor sleep weaken your immune system?

A single bad night of sleep isn't likely to have a major long-term impact on your health. However, even short-term sleep deprivation can temporarily affect certain aspects of immune function, which is why consistent sleep is important over time.

Is it better to sleep in or stick to your normal wake-up time when you're sick?

The answer depends on how you're feeling. Extra sleep can support recovery, but maintaining some consistency in your sleep schedule may help prevent your body clock from becoming disrupted, especially during longer illnesses.

References

1. Garbarino, S., Lanteri, P., Bragazzi, N. L., Magnavita, N., & Scoditti, E. (2021). Role of sleep deprivation in immune-related disease risk and outcomes. Communications biology, 4(1), 1304. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02825-4
2. Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Born, J. (2012). Sleep and immune function. Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology, 463(1), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-011-1044-0
3. Besedovsky, L., Lange, T., & Haack, M. (2019). The sleep-immune crosstalk in health and disease. Physiological Reviews, 99(3), 1325-1380. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00010.2018
4. Spiegel, K., Leproult, R., & Prather, A. A. (2023). A meta-analysis of the associations between insufficient sleep duration and antibody response to vaccination. Current Biology, 33(6), 998-1005.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.01.046