doTERRA products, such as doTERRA Serenity® Restful Complex Softgels, are designed to promote healthy relaxation and sleep. Sleep supports the body in many ways, and research shows that among its many benefits, sleep is good for the immune system.
Sleep and the immune system
Over the course of your life, you will spend a considerable amount of time sleeping. Sleep has been touted as essential for healthy living and affects things like weight, focus and energy. Moreover, recent research suggests that adequate sleep may also affect immune system strength.
A study in sleep
The University of Tübingen has decided to take a closer look at sleep and its influence on part of the immune system: T cells. T cells are white blood cells that play a role in the immune response. Previous research has shown that sleep deprivation can disrupt the functional rhythm of T-cell response and negatively affect other immune markers †. Hoping to understand why sleep is so important for proper T-cell activity, researchers turned their attention to signals that affect the ability of T cells to adhere to their target †. They focused on a group of signaling molecules that can help or hinder T cells' ability to activate helper molecules after an antigen (a foreign substance) was identified. To do this, the researchers analyzed the T-cell activity of healthy volunteers under different sleep conditions. What they found was that the levels of these agonists (substances that cause a response when they bind to a receptor) dropped significantly during sleep, allowing the T cells' signals to reach their targets and stick to them (“integrin stickiness”). In short, the researchers found strong evidence that T cells are most effective in prompting a response to invaders when the molecules that enhance their ability to communicate and attach to their target are inactive. These are more inactive when you get a healthy amount of sleep.
Sleep for your health
Developing a consistent sleep routine can be one of the most important ways to support overall health and well-being. Incorporating doTERRA products into your unique bedtime ritual can help promote immune-supportive sleep.
- Diffuse your favorite essential oils as part of your bedtime routine. doTERRA Serenity® Restful Blend was specially formulated to help create a soothing bedtime environment, but any oils with a calming aroma (especially those rich in linalool and linalyl acetate) should do the trick.
- Apply doTERRA Balance® Grounding Blend or another calming essential oil to the bottoms of your feet or neck 30 minutes before bedtime to promote feelings of relaxation.
- Internal use of lavender has been shown in clinical research to calm the nervous system and promote healthy relaxation.†* Try taking 1-2 doTERRA Serenity® Restful Complex Softgels 30 minutes before bedtime to promote restful sleep.
No matter how you look at it, sleep is the key to a healthy lifestyle. What DoTERRA products do you like to use to support your sleep routine?
†The studies mentioned did not use doTERRA products and this article does not claim that the results of the studies will be replicated with doTERRA products. Further, this article is not intended to imply any endorsement of doTERRA products by those who conducted or sponsored the research.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.