Sleep and Immunity: Cytokine Pathways Linking Sleep and Health Outcomes
Abstract
The functions of sleep are enigmatic but are beginning to be delineated. Sleep has been long thought to be important for health, and poor sleep is prospectively associated with worsened health outcomes. Yet the mechanisms accounting for this are only partially understood. In this review, we suggest that the immune system plays a role in the relationship between sleep and health and that sleep processes and immunity show bidirectional interactions, as evidenced in both animal and human studies. Immunological signaling molecules, termed cytokines, are important in coordinating brain–immune system communication, and particular cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, and interleukin-6 play a crucial role in sleep regulation. Elevated levels of these cytokines are also associated with a number of chronic diseases and may provide a pathway linking poor sleep with health outcomes.
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The impact of rest and the immune system is reciprocal.
“Nowadays, experimentally, the impact of rest and the immune system is reciprocal [12].”
From Probiotics Regulate Gut Microbiota: An Effective Method to Improve Immunity (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
During the normal sleep-wake cycle, the immune system shows a dynamic change over time.
“during the normal sleep–wake cycle, the immune system showed a dynamic change over this time.”
From Probiotics Regulate Gut Microbiota: An Effective Method to Improve Immunity (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
The number of immune cells peaks at night and returns to its lowest in the morning.
“The number of immune cells reached a peak at night and returned to their lowest in the morning [12]”
From Probiotics Regulate Gut Microbiota: An Effective Method to Improve Immunity (2021) · cites this paper as [12]
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References 23 · Cited by 49
- Authors
- Motivala, S. J., & Irwin, M. R.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Motivala, Sarosh J.
- ORCID
- Irwin, Michael R.
- Venue
- Current Directions in Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-02
- Volume
- 16
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 21-25
- ISSN
- 0963-7214 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8721
- OpenAlex
- W2096862988
- Cited by
- 49
- References
- 23
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Current Directions in Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Keywords
- sleep, immunity, cytokines, brain-immune communication, sleep regulation, TNF-α, interleukin-1, interleukin-6, chronic disease
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