Lack of sleep ‘increases risk of catching a cold’

Sleeping too little will greatly increase a person's risk of catching a cold, according to a new study from the US.

Conducted by the University of California – San Francisco, the study recruited 164 volunteers between 2007 and 2011, who underwent two months of health screenings, interviews and questionnaires to assess factors such as stress, temperament, and alcohol and cigarette use.

It was found that people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who spend more than seven hours a night sleeping.

Meanwhile, those who slept less than five hours were 4.5 times more likely to catch a cold.

The findings provide further evidence that sleep should be considered a crucial pillar of public health, alongside diet and exercise.

Dr Aric Prather, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California – San Francisco, said: "There's still a fair amount of pride about not having to sleep and getting a lot of work done. We need more studies like this to begin to drive home that sleep is a critical piece to our wellbeing."