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Sleep and Inflammation

Meaning

Sleep and inflammation refers to the bidirectional, tightly coupled physiological relationship where chronic sleep disruption promotes systemic inflammatory responses, and conversely, inflammatory mediators can impair sleep architecture. Insufficient sleep duration or poor sleep quality elevates circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as Interleukin-6 and TNF-alpha, contributing to a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, or inflammaging. This dysregulation is a significant risk factor for metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases. Optimizing sleep is therefore a primary, non-negotiable strategy for systemic inflammation control.