What does your blood test reveal about your sleep?

Pathologist Dr. Vynetta D highlights the dangers of staying up late & sleeping fewer hours leading to inflammation in your body that may reflect in your CBC test. 

We have been reprimanded for this before. First it was our mothers and then it was our doctors. 

“Sleep early”. 

Now we know why. 

Did you know that irregular sleep patterns can actually affect your immune system? It's true! 

This study we are sharing might change the way you think about your sleep. Mounting evidence suggests that repeated shifting of the endogenous circadian clock is detrimental to overall health. To such an extent that it is now considered a probable carcinogen along with being a prominent risk factor for cardiometabolic conditions including obesity & hypertension. 

Research has brought to fore a surprising connection between the duration and timing of your sleep and the crucial white blood cells in your body. 

NIGHT OWL? YOUR NEUTROPHILS DON’T LIKE IT 

Scientists have discovered specific associations between sleep duration variability and different types of white blood cells. An increase in sleep duration irregularity is linked to higher lymphocyte, neutrophil(the first line of defence in acute inflammatory conditions) & monocyte count, which play a crucial role in immune response. 

SO WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SLEEP DISORDERS & BLOOD TESTS?

In conversation with Dr. Vynetta D about the connection between sleep and CBC blood test results, she said that disturbed circadian cycle desynchronizes immune functions & promotes inflammation in healthy people.

To shed more light on this she provides valuable insights from the study linked below into the risk factors and blood data:

According to recent research, sleep duration is positively associated with total WBC count such that every 60-min increase in sleep duration is associated with an estimated 2.7 ​± ​0.60 x103 ​cells/μL increase in total WBCs. Sleep duration is also associated with circulating neutrophils (30.21 ​± ​11.71 ​cells/μL, p<0.01), lymphocytes (11.46 ​± ​3.83 ​cells/μL, p<0.01), and monocytes (2.35 ​± ​1.03 ​cells/μL, p ​= ​0.01).

And here's the kicker – these associations are still significant even after accounting for other factors that could influence the results. This means there's a strong possibility that irregular sleep-wake patterns can disrupt your immune system, even before the onset of any clinical symptoms.

If you test after reading this and your neutrophils are higher but you have been sleeping well, check for other inflammation in the body. 

SOURCE: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354621000363