Drastic drop in temperatures and … in the quality of sleep. Clinical studies show how essential a good night’s sleep is to strengthen the immune system and fight infections
Early spring often sees considerable weather instabilities. In fact, in these days we are witnessing a drastic drop in temperatures throughout the country, with snowfalls expected even at low altitude and a more winter-like climate. These fluctuations can cause the return of simple flu and colds whose effects are also felt on the quality of sleep of adults and children.
A clinical study conducted on 4,000 subjects with flu symptoms in eight different countries showed that 9 out of 10 people wake up at least once a night due to nasal congestion, runny nose and cough. For Italians, in particular, sleep disturbance or disruption caused by flu or cold symptoms is a major concern. And they’re not wrong: sleeping little and badly – or, worse, not sleeping at all – not only affects how you feel the next day, but triggers a debilitating vicious circle that negatively impacts the immune system and the ability to fight infections. . Sleep deprivation, therefore, should not be underestimated at all.
Among the best known and most effective remedies to help break this vicious circle, we find Vicks VapoRub. For 125 years the ointment – with one of the most recognizable scents and 23 million jars a year in 71 countries in the world – not only relieves nasal congestion, sore throat and cough but, as evidenced by clinical studies, improves also the quality of sleep for children and adults.
In 2010, researchers in the United States conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of a single application of Vicks VapoRub in treating night cough, nasal congestion and sleep disturbances caused by upper respiratory infections in children. The results showed that applying Vicks VapoRub helped children and their parents benefit from a more restful night. Similar results in adults were obtained by a research team in the UK led by Professor Derk-Jan Dijk of the Surrey Sleep Research Center at the University of Surrey. The study showed that Vicks VapoRub, applied at bedtime, improved sleep quality by 58% compared to placebo. Those who used VapoRub also reported a 75% improvement in their ability to wake up refreshed the next morning.
The active ingredients that distinguish the Vicks VapoRub formula are menthol, camphor, eucalyptus oil and turpentine essential oil. Menthol is mainly used to relieve symptoms of bronchitis, sinusitis and other upper respiratory tract diseases. It is used inhaled or as an ointment in combination with camphor and eucalyptus oil. Camphor, applied externally in the form of an ointment, acts as a rubefacient (ie capable of making the skin slightly red for therapeutic purposes. Ed), as an antiseptic and as a mild analgesic. Eucalyptus oil is balsamic, rubefacient and expectorant of phlegm and cough: these effects have been demonstrated in clinical studies, both alone and in combination. Finally, the essential oil of turpentine is also balsamic and rubefacient.
Its formulation does not interfere with the intake of other drugs and is indeed complementary to most flu medicines, thus making Vicks VapoRub the perfect ally in the nights of this hopefully short “return to winter”.