Definition
Sleep and immunity are tightly linked. Sleep supports immune memory, wound healing, and inflammatory regulation. Poor sleep degrades all three.
Why it matters
Sleep is one of the most modifiable and most under-prescribed immune interventions in modern life.
The Science
Deep sleep supports T-cell function and vaccine response; sleep restriction elevates pro-inflammatory cytokines; and even single nights of poor sleep alter immune parameters. Long-term sleep disruption is associated with cardiometabolic and infectious risk.
The NSI Perspective
NSI treats protected sleep as immune care, not a personal indulgence.
Clinical Implications
Screening for insomnia and sleep apnea is legitimate immune medicine.
Practical Application
Guarding sleep is guarding immunity. It is not decorative.
References
- 1.Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The sleep–immune crosstalk in health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2019;99(3):1325–1380.