The Importance of Sleep to our Immune System

When we’re sick, we often hear people telling us to get enough rest – and by rest, it usually translates to sleep. But while we are always told that sleep is important for our recovery, have you ever wondered what really goes on with our immune system and our entire body while we’re asleep? Isn’t it fascinating to find out what really happens during our sleep that helps us recuperate faster?

The Immune System and Your Body Clock

Perhaps you’ve heard about our body’s internal clocks – or technically called as the circadian rhythms. Every system in our body follows a 24-hour cycle for regulating metabolic processes, and these timings largely affect our immune response and overall health.

Relating this to sleep, the circadian rhythm controls our sleep-wake cycle by responding to dark and light. The sleep-wake cycle is then used by our immune system as a signal for performing ‘scheduled’ tasks. Therefore, if we are not getting enough rest required by our body, it also prevents our immune system from functioning effectively.

What Happens while You’re Asleep

It is interesting to think that while we are in a temporary paralytic state and our mind is unconscious, our body continues to actively produce chemicals and transmit messages to the brain.

It is during sleep that most of the restoration process in the body occurs. Many of our muscles are shut off, relaxed and repaired, tissues are rebuilt, cells are renewed, memoryand emotion is processed in the brain, and the digestive system slows down. There is also a rise and drop in various hormones, depending on the role they play and how these hormones are affected by our activities and lifestyle.

Your Immune System at Work

As for the immune system, it is not at rest either. Proteins called cytokines are produced by the body during sleep. Certain types of cytokines are helpful for promoting quality sleep, while others are necessary for combating infections. Some of these cytokines can also cause inflammation.

And if you are not getting sufficient sleep, then the production of the protective proteins are decreased, while the inflammatory cytokines increase in number. Definitely, that’s not good for your health and poses a risk for cold or flu.

In addition, the immune system also uses your sleeping hours for keeping your antibodies and disease-fighting cells in check. Thus, the lack of sleep can hinder the efficacy of these antibodies, which is why when you are both sick and sleep-deprived, it seems to take longer for your cold to go away.

The metabolic processes in the immune system can also alter sleep. For instance, you may notice that when you are having a cough or experiencing symptoms of allergy, you end up waking up in the middle of the night coughing, wheezing or wanting to scratch some itchy rash. These seem to be annoying disturbances to your sleep, but this is actually a sign that your immune system is at work and is doing its job to fight off diseases.

Natural Remedies for Common Digestive Problems

Ahh, digestive problems... everyone is just too familiar with these. Perhaps all of us have experienced some kind of digestive issue, one way or another. But while most would easily grab a pill or medication to ease the problem, others like me prefer dealing with it the more natural way.

Or maybe, you’re one of those who want to try out natural remedies but just aren’t sure of how it works and what these methods are. So let me share with you my list of natural yet effective ways for treating common digestive problems.

Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can be caused by many things, including bacterial infection in the gut, food allergies, and consumption of foods that irritate the digestive system. With the need of frequent visits to the loo, suffering from diarrhoea means another uncomfortable day. And while you can find over-the-counter medication for controlling loose, watery stool, if you can, it would be better to let things keep moving and just use home remedies.

First, you need to make sure you are drinking enough water to avoid dehydration. When taking your fluids, drink in smaller amounts but do it frequently and in between meals rather than with your meals. A cup of tea with a teaspoon of honey can soothe the symptoms, just as well as a bowl of warm broth – and the best thing is you can enjoy it several times during the day.

Additionally, if you are worried about losing too much fluids and the need to replace the essential salts in your body, consider using sports drinks or rehydration products. These won’t fix the diarrhoea, but it can help replenish the fluids and electrolytes in your body.

Constipation

Just the opposite of diarrhoea, constipation makes it difficult for things to get moving. One of the tricks is to get sufficient dietary fibre, which can be found in whole-grain products such as cereals and breads. Prunes are also a rich source of fibre which can aid in constipation.

However, if you can’t easily find these in your pantry and want a quick get-away-from-it strategy, you can try mixing fresh lemon juice into one cup of warm water. It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3 – squeeze it, mix it and drink it.

Now, if you still don’t have lemon, perhaps you do have some baking soda? (Note: this isn’t the same as baking powder). Just prepare about ¼ cup warm water and add a teaspoon of baking soda and drink, and your tummy is good to go.

Gas and Bloating

When I begin feeling flatulent, the first thing I’d do is go to my kitchen and boil ginger root in water. I’d pour it in a cup, add a little honey (yes, honey goes into most every tea I make!) and enjoy my drink. Sooner or later, the gas and bloated feeling will begin going away. I’ve also tried other teas such as chamomile and fennel and they have been so far effective, but ginger is simply my favourite.

Indigestion

Another common digestive discomfort that can come every now and then is indigestion. After eating a meal, you’d feel too full or have that acidic or burning sensation in your stomach. Although indigestion tends to go away on its own after a few hours, simple treatments can help ease the discomfort.

Chamomile tea is known for its calming effect, and it seems true even for your stomach. Having a cup when the symptom starts to kick in always works for me. If you don’t have anything to grab at home though (whether a tea bag or dried chamomile petals ready to be boiled), then a cup of warm water can do wonders.

You should be aware, however, that indigestion may only be part of the problem and may be a symptom of otherunderlying conditions. If you are experiencing indigestion too frequently, you should visit your doctor for medical advice.