Science Questions

What is it about sleep that makes it so beneficial to us when we're ill? Are we better able to mobilise our disease resources? Brad in Maine

We have different patterns of hormones that go up and down during the 24-hour day and some of the healing hormones seem to be involved in the sleep phase of the day rather than the daylight phase of the day. But we're mending all the time, breaking down bits of the body and rebuilding it as we need it.

July 2006