Getting Enough Sleep Could Ward Off The Common Cold

January 13, 2009 7:43 a.m. EST

Miami, FL (AHN) - A new study suggests getting enough sleep could help your chances of avoiding the common cold.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, followed 153 volunteers for 14 consecutive days. Their sleep habits were recorded, and following the monitoring, the volunteers were administered nasal drops containing the rhinovirus.

Participants, who ranged in age from 21-to-55 years old, getting less than seven hours of sleep were three times more likely than those getting a good night's sleep to develop cold symptoms.

The study's researchers also found that participants in both camps who slept efficiently were better prepared to ward off cold symptoms.

Researchers for the study were affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia.