Previous studies have shown that sleep deprivation is associated with diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. A new study looked at how sleep deprivation affects the immune system, in particular white blood cells. 15 healthy young men had their blood drawn under normal and severely sleep deprived conditions. Normal circumstances were 8 hours of sleep every night, exposure to at least 15 minutes of outdoor light within the first 90 minutes of waking, and no caffeine, alcohol, or medication during the final three days. All of this was in order to stabilize their circadian clocks. A particular type of white blood cell, granulocytes, reacted immediately and were increased. This response is much the same as had these young men been under physical stress.
The study, "Diurnal Rhythms in Blood Cell Populations and the Effect of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Healthy Young Men," was a collaborative effort between the Department of Forensic Molecular Biology at Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam and Chronobiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom. The laboratory study was conducted at the University of Surrey Clinical Research Centre.
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