Hormonal
Acute sleep deprivation (64 hours) induces physiologic leukocytosis and increases Natural Killer (NK) cell activity, which parallels neurobehavioral fatigue and is reversed by recovery sleep.
Getting less than 8 hours of sleep for a few days doesn't necessarily 'weaken' your immune system in the way people fear. Instead, your body actively mobilizes immune cells (like NK cells and white blood cells) in response to the stress of being awake. This mobilization tracks with how tired you feel. Prioritizing recovery sleep is essential to normalize these levels, as the immune boost disappears once you recover.
Sleep loss was associated with leukocytosis and increased NK cell activity... The physiologic leukocytosis and NK activity increases during deprivation were eliminated by recovery sleep in a manner parallel to neurobehavioral function, suggesting that the immune alterations may be associated with biological pressure for sleep.
Why this rating
Controlled laboratory study with 20 subjects, rigorous monitoring, and clear statistical significance for primary outcomes.
Source
Leukocytosis and natural killer cell function parallel neurobehavioral fatigue induced by 64 hours of sleep deprivation.
David F. Dinges et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1994
DOI 10.1172/jci117184
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