In these days of going back to school and worrying about the coronavirus, perhaps we have to reconsider what we can control in caring for our children.

If rest in adults is important to keep us healthy, active and productive, for a child it will be much more so, since his physical and mental development will depend on it.

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect the body and every day science discovers something more about its code of action and the correlation with our eating habits. life, in terms of food, physical activity and rest.

Just at this point we want to stop, since at bdhome, all our daily efforts are aimed at offering you "the best rest in the world" offering the best rest equipment adapted to the specific characteristics of the sleeper and in this blog we want to relate its importance to our immune system.

T lymphocytes, cytokines or cytokine storm are terms that you have heard a lot in recent months, all of them are elements of our biological defense against pathogens and have a special relationship with sleep and good sleep.

Scientific publications determine that:

Sleep facilitates the adhesion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to their cellular targets, these lymphocytes are like elite snipers, they kill infected cells without harming healthy ones.

Sleep activates Integrins, cell surface proteins, in T lymphocytes responsible for antiviral responses and reduces immunosuppressive activity by reducing G protein receptor agonists, let's say sleep activates the defenders and blocks their excessive response that can lead to a failure in this defensive organization. An army that acts in proportion depending on the enemy it faces.

The vital importance of the light-dark cycle has been proven, since the number of circulating T lymphocytes and the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-12 increase during the night and cytotoxic leukocytes and the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 increase during the day. Cytokines are communication agents between cells activating the regulation of the inflammation mechanism, favoring or inhibiting it.

Other studies show that certain immune disorders are a consequence of stress caused by lack of sleep.

On the other hand, it is important to highlight the rest cycles in a child since in our little sleepers they vary from birth. Babies go from sleeping about 16 hours a day, including naps, to an average of 13 hours at two years of age, until reaching the 8 or 10 hours that a 12-year-old child sleeps.

Physiologically it is regulated by sleep hormones.

Serotonin is the hormone whose levels rise and fall throughout the day, setting the time our body follows like a clock to know when it is time to sleep and when not. The levels of neuronal serotonin receptors during deep sleep drop to their minimum and regulate other important biological processes such as thermoregulation, stress, appetite, learning, memory or mood, among others.

sleep night stimulates human growth hormone or somatotropin, being secreted approximately 60 minutes after sleep , acting on the development of cells and tissues and thus on the growth of the child. Interruptions of it will hinder your important action.

melatonin which is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, has various functions in the body, especially in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. Its maximum level is reached in the dark and helps us enter in the deep stages of sleep.

Hormonal action is related to our circadian rhythm, which is our internal and daily clock, dependent on the cycle of day and night that nature sets for us.

To avoid its alteration, we advise you to follow healthy habits as a family, eating, exercising, managing stress and especially resting. All this will facilitate the proper functioning of the child's immune system, which will be strengthened day by day as it grows.

Due to our professional experience, we want to propose a series of habits so that you can build the best "Rest routine for your little sleepers". You may not be able to put them all into practice today, but you can add actions such as:

• Establish an important time to go to bed, get up and set your biological clock.
• Adapt the bedroom to adequate light and temperature.
• Avoid distractions from mobile phones and tablets since with their blue light they block the synthesis of melatonin. The bed and the screens do not get along, they disrupt sleep.
• Carry out physical activity that promotes the release of energy, games, sports and outdoor activities are a sure way to rest.
• Do not use the bed as a place of punishment, as it will have negative reinforcement.
• Determine a good time for dinner that allows for digestion before bed.
• Avoid stimulating drinks. Water for children is the best drink at all hours of the day.
• Choose rest equipment suitable for the child's age and weight, as it promotes deep rest, allowing good postural hygiene, essential for sleep and growth.

EPILOGUE

It acts like our immune cells aggregating to do organized, specialized work against pathogens!

The sleep-wake cycle is important for the correct functioning of the immune and endocrine systems and, in turn, this balance plays a very important role in the quality of sleep, ensuring adequate and healthy growth in the life of a child.