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Lack of Sleep Puts You At Higher Risk For Colds, First Experimental Study Finds
sciencehabit writes: Moms and sleep researchers alike have stressed the importance of solid shuteye for years, especially when it comes to fighting off the common cold. Their stance is a sensible one—skimping on sleep weakens the body's natural defense system, leaving it more vulnerable to viruses. But the connection relied largely on self-reported, subjective surveys—until now (abstract). For the first time, a team of scientists reports that they have locked down the link experimentally, showing that sleep-deprived individuals are more than four times more likely to catch a cold than those who are well-rested.
Up Next! Too much food can make you fat! Stay tuned.
Fighting the frizzies at 11.
Some of the most profound discoveries have come from experiments verifying established knowledge, yielding unexpected results. Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus resulted from just such an experiment.