Did you know that sleep affects your immunity? The Sleep Foundation and Mayo Clinic have both shared the importance of sleep and keeping your immune system in optimal health.
“During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you’re under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don’t get enough sleep.” –
Dr. Eric J. Olson, M.D, Mayo Clinic Expert
To keep your body in optimal condition
- Eat real food and drink lots of H2O
- Be active and exercise
- Sleep
- De-stress
When we spend most of our days indoors in front of a screen we are weakening our immune system as this often means we are not getting fresh air, natural sunlight, and inundating our eyes with harmful blue light.
Hacks to Avoid Digital Fatigue and Optimize Your Sleep :
- Take breaks often to stretch your body and rest your eyes.
- Wear Day Swannies to prevent digital eye strain.
- Get outdoors for fresh air and natural sunlight.
- Get up at the same time every day (whether you are working from the office or remotely).
- Block blue light in the evening with Night Swannies.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark at night.
- Use a tracking device to monitor your sleep patterns.
If you are feeling anxiety or stress, try using sound to help calm and relax you. We love the Brain.fm app for focus, creativity and sleep. You can also try Sleep Hypnotherapy to aid in a night of deep, restorative sleep.
And remember, even if you do come down with a case of the seasonal sniffles, you’ll be able to bounce back faster if your body is well-rested.
Improve your health today
“Routinely sleeping less than six or seven hours a night demolishes your immune system, more than doubling your risk of cancer” – Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
Better nights. Better days. Better health.