The flu epidemic is in full swing right now and everyone is sneezing and coughing. Dr Sophie Newton shares her expert advice for escaping winter viruses.
Flu, cold, bronchitis… Will you manage to slip through the cracks of the many viruses currently circulating? Yes, if you follow the advice of this general practitioner. According to Dr Sophie Newton, there is a stark difference between people who get sick more often in winter and those who stay fit. From this difference, she drew very simple advice to apply in the evening. Thanks to it, the body is more resistant to infections.
“It seems like everyone has a cough, cold or flu symptoms at the moment, there is a lot of virus circulating” she shares in a new video. But rather than running to the pharmacy, Dr. Newton suggests something else: “What if one of the most effective ways to avoid colds was neither a dietary supplement nor a miracle cure, but something you already do every night, or try to do?”. According to the expert “This could explain why some people escape colds, while others seem to catch them systematically.”
To support her advice, she draws on a study in which researchers exposed volunteers to the cold virus before observing their sleep. Because this is the central point of the body’s defense against viral infections, according to the general practitioner. SLEEP. In the study, it was found that those who slept less than 7 hours per night were almost three times more likely to get sick than those who slept 8 hours or more. “More interestingly, it’s not just the quantity of sleep that matters: people with disrupted or poor quality sleep were up to five and a half times more likely to develop cold symptoms.”
Since it’s not always easy to change your sleep habits overnight, she recommends “focus on what we can control”. To put it simply, “Fifteen to thirty minutes of extra sleep per night can already make a difference. Go to bed at a set time, dim the lights an hour before going to bed, maintain a cool temperature in your bedroom and avoid leaving electronic devices there: a bedtime routine is much more effective than you might think.”. Sleep is a “natural shield”. “It’s not just about avoiding colds. Good sleep improves mental health, memory and long-term health.”
In France, the official recommendations on sleep for adults are clear. An adult should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night to maintain good health. Below 7 hours, the risks of metabolic disorders, reduced alertness, and vulnerability to infections increase. Health authorities also advise respecting a regular sleep schedule, with fixed times for going to bed (every evening at 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. for example) and getting up (every morning at 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. for example). Adopting these simple practices helps strengthen not only the immune system, but also concentration, mood, and long-term health.
