Sleep as a Mediator of the Stress-Immune Relationship

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Abstract
To evaluate the role of sleep in the relationship of intrusive thoughts/avoidance behaviors to natural killer cell (NKC) number and function. Twenty-nine individuals seeking treatment for bereavement-related depression were studied in the sleep laboratory. Background and clinical variables, including the Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), were administered during the week preceding a 3-night sleep study. Blood samples were collected upon awakening after the second or third night of sleep. Greater frequency of intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviors was associated with more time spent awake during the first non-rapid eye movement period (NREM-1) and lower NKC number (p values These results suggest that EEG-assessed sleep may be a significant correlate of the stress-immune relationship.