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Poor Sleep Patterns May Increase Risk for the Common Cold

Abbreviated or disturbed sleep may make you more susceptible to colds, Archives of Internal Medicine reports.

Some 150 volunteers recorded their sleep duration and sleep efficiency (defined as the percentage of time spent asleep while in bed) every day for 2 weeks. They were then quarantined and challenged with a rhinovirus.

During the next 5 days, the risk for developing a cold was about three times higher among participants who'd averaged less than 7 hours' sleep a night (vs. 8 or more), and nearly six times higher for those with less than 92% sleep efficiency (vs. 98% or more).

Good night!

LINK(S):

Archives of Internal Medicine article (Free abstract; full text requires subscription)

Reuters story (Free)

Published in Physician's First Watch January 13, 2009

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