People who slept under 6 hours were 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold
Prather, Janicki-Deverts, Hall & Cohen · Sleep, 2015
01The result
Scientists followed 164 healthy adults to see how sleep affects colds. Those who slept under six hours were 4.2 times more likely to catch one than those who slept over seven.
02How they tested it
First, people wore a wrist sensor for a week of normal life. It measured their real sleep. Then everyone stayed inside a hotel. No work, no going out. On day two, doctors put cold virus drops in their noses and checked for five days if it took hold.
03Sleep mattered most
Age, stress, income, and smoking did not explain it. Hours of sleep mattered most.
04What it means
The body fights germs while we sleep. So in cold season, getting enough sleep works a bit like a shield. That late-night scroll comes at a cost.
05Limitations
Over 200 viruses cause colds, and this study used one. Sleep was not controlled, so other things may be mixed in. It looked at a week, not one night. And 4.2 times is a higher chance, not a sure thing. 48 of 164 caught a cold.
Original paper
- Prather, Janicki-Deverts, Hall & Cohen (2015), Sleep 38(9), doi:10.5665/sleep.4968
- doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4968
Also checked
HOLT NEWS read the paper and public materials and explained them in plain words. Illustrations by HOLT NEWS.
