Lack of sleep and anxiety are weakening your body from the inside; read what the new study says.
Do you often toss and turn at night or worry excessively about minor things? If so, you need to be careful. A new study has revealed the shocking fact that insomnia and anxiety are not only affecting your mental health but also weakening your body's ability to fight off diseases.
Staff Editor 
Insomnia or anxiety may be linked to a lower number of immune cells, reducing the effectiveness of the immune system. This was found in a study on young women. Anxiety and insomnia are known to weaken the immune system and make individuals more susceptible to illness. Lack of sleep affects the brain, leading to increased anxiety and stress (elevated hormone levels). Stress and anxiety, in turn, make it even more difficult to sleep, disrupting the sleep cycle.
Researchers at a university in Saudi Arabia said this may be because experiencing symptoms of either condition reduces the number of 'natural killer cells,' which are cells that destroy threats such as pathogens or infected cells. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, tested 60 young women who completed questionnaires and reported symptoms of insomnia or anxiety. Blood samples from the participants were analyzed to determine the number of killer cells.
Lower total number of natural killer cells
The results showed that young women experiencing symptoms of insomnia had a lower total number of natural killer cells. Those experiencing symptoms of anxiety also had a lower number of circulating natural killer cells.
The study authors wrote, "The results showed that 75 percent of the participants experienced symptoms of GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) at varying levels of severity, and over 50 percent reported insomnia. Interestingly, students with GAD-7 symptoms had a lower percentage and number of circulating NK (natural killer) cells compared to control students."
Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between higher GAD-7 scores and the proportion of total peripheral NK cells in students suffering from insomnia. Participants with moderate and severe anxiety symptoms had a significantly lower percentage of circulating natural killer cells, while no significant decrease in natural killer cells was observed in students with minimal or mild anxiety symptoms. This can make one susceptible to illnesses. Therefore, prioritizing mental health and getting adequate sleep is extremely important. The study involved 60 young women. The researchers had these participants fill out questionnaires and analyzed their blood samples.
Helpful in cancer prevention
The study found a correlation between higher anxiety scores and the total number of peripheral natural killer cells in students with insomnia symptoms. The researchers said that a lower number of killer cells can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of diseases, cancer, and mental disorders, including depression. The team said that these findings can help in better understanding the physical consequences of anxiety and insomnia and may be helpful in the prevention of immune-related disorders and cancer.
