We all know that sleep is paramount for our mental health, overall wellbeing, and immune system — but what about the science behind it all?
"Specialised viral fighting cells called "natural killer cells" are one of our first lines of defence against colds and flu," explains Dr Macciochi. "Just one bad night's sleep can make the numbers of these cells plummet by 70 percent," tipping your immune system into a state of imbalance. All in all, more sleep will improve the production of these killer cells, in turn improving your ability to fight off infection.
Image Source: Getty / Aleksandar Nakic