Immune Health <-> Sleep
In other words, your immune system is with you all year round.
An immune system on overdrive or not quite up to snuff can affect your sleep, which in turn can affect your immune system.. and so forth.
Our immune system is can be located anywhere throughout our body, though certain organs like the thymus (located on the top of sternum, in front of the heart) and bone marrow, play pivotal roles in the many molecules necessary to help keep us well. Our lymphatic system, for example, helps get rid of extra debris, and is mostly concentrated in/around our armpits and the inner creases of our legs. This is also another reason to aim for natural deodorant because the skin in our armpit is pretty thin and chemicals can leech right out and clog up all those ducts (seriously, many studies have found numerous chemicals in this area).
The other debris it helps clean up is when we think we’re getting sick! It helps the body recognize if it’s ‘me’ or or ‘not me’, and acts accordingly (think swelling, redness/inflammation- these processes help immobilize the area and bring killer related cells or cells that say, ‘this is normal, we’re good here’).
Here’s where sleep comes in:
Hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol (our stress hormone), and more are made during the night. The first three, our sex hormones, actually play a vital role in boosting our immune system when they’re at optimal function.
Ever been on vacation and then you get sick? Too much cortisol can suppress the immune system (it’s how a few drugs suppress immune-related flares in a number of conditions), so the moment you relax.. enter in the sniffles.
The body needs time to recognize invaders, and fight off whatever else is going on (even any hormone imbalance! Or even some extra lactic acid from a tough workout). This is our immune system too. It really does a lot…
Sleep also helps congeal our ideas for the day, make space mentally and physically for perhaps more brilliant ideas and more optimal ways of functioning, respectively, and one of those systems that benefit is our immune health. Consider the routine/rhythm of your day- just like how you may like things done in a certain way and have your more optimal times of the day, so does your body. There’s an ease, a flow- it’s just easier.
So, while a good night’s sleep is vital for our health, stress management (think cortisol) and minimizing our exposure to ingredients (even in food) where the label looks like it popped out of a chemistry textbook, are all ways to help improve our body’s way of healing and eliminating.
However, where to start/what to do first can sometimes seem overwhelming, so check out my COMPLIMENTARY GUIDE HERE on how you can start assessing your daily life and fitting in routines that can last you long-term! :)