著者

矢島 すみ江 中野 功 麻生 伸代 橘 真美 粥川 裕平

出版者

名古屋工業大学

雑誌

名古屋工業大学紀要 (ISSN:0918595X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.55, pp.151-157, 2004-03-31

---

Objectives: In order to examine the correlation between sleep habits and immunological strength, a question-naire survey was conducted at an annual physical health examination. The questionnaire consisted of fourteen questions regarding sleep habits, annual frequency of catching colds, dietary habits, etc. We considered the frequency of catching colds as one of markers reflecting the immunological strength to viral infection. Subjects and Methods: The 2003 enrollment at Nagoya Institute of Technology consisted of 6,478 students, aged 18 to 35. The questionnaire survey was conducted at the annual physical examination in May 2003. At that time, 4,397 students (67.8% of total enrollment) underwent an annual physical health examination, and the response rate for the questionnaire was 100%. Statistic analysis was performed using a Chi-square test, and p values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Self-reported sleep time among these subjects was 6.62 hours for males and 6.61 hours for females, which means that on this count there was no gender difference. The annual frequency of catching colds was distributed as follows: none (378); once (807); two to four times (2,855); five or more times (352). The mean sleep time of the non-cold-catching group was 6.76 hours; for the group which caught colds five or more times, it was 6.54 hours. There was a significant decrease in the sleep time of the most-frequent cold-catching group. Students in this group slept for less than 6 hours or more than 10 hours nightly. These students also had more irregular dietary schedules, higher intakes of alcohol, and heavier smoking habits in comparison with those in healthier groups. Considerations: If the frequency of common colds represents immunological strength, our finding suggests that sleeping less or sleep loss should be avoided in order to maintain physical health. The reason why long sleepers (longer than 10 hours) easily catch colds is unknown. Morbidity to viral infection does not necessarily correlate to mortality, however, and our finding was consistent with a previous report from USA on longevity and sleep time. A regular life style, sufficient sleep, and a well-balanced diet are indispensable for student health. Further investigation and follow-up study are, of course, needed.