A new Norwegian scientific study has shown that both insufficient and excessive sleep can make a person more vulnerable to various infections. Those who sleep less than six hours or more than nine hours are at greater risk of contracting viruses or bacteria.

Researchers at the University of Bergen, led by Dr. Ingeborg Fortan, who published in the psychiatric journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, examined 1,848 people. They found that those who typically slept less than six hours a night were, on average, 27% more likely to develop an infection, while those who slept more than nine hours had a 44% higher risk of infection. Even those with chronic sleep problems are more likely to take antibiotics.

Previous studies have provided evidence that sleep problems may increase the risk of infection, for example. from cold rhinoviruses, a new study confirms.

“Awareness of the importance of sleep not only for general well-being, but also for the health of patients is necessary for both the patients themselves and the doctors,” said Dr. Fortan.

Source: RES-IPE