Why can't i sleep when i'm sick

We’ve all been there: At the first sign of a cold, the flu, or another illness, our bodies seem to start craving extra sleep.

You may find yourself especially struggling to get out of bed in the morning, nodding off for a necessary nap midday, or just lounging on the couch for longer than usual. It feels like your body is telling you to take a step back from your day-to-day life… but why does being sick make you tired?

The reason why you sleep so much when you’re sick is because of both the body’s response to being sick and the process necessary to recover.

(After all, there’s a reason, “Get some rest!” is such a common refrain when someone says they’re under the weather!) “It is absolutely normal to need more sleep when sick,” says psychiatrist Allie Sharma, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of mental health practice Being Health.

“Your body is wired this way.”

Sickness puts our immune system in a weakened state, “as it works to fight off the infection,” explains Dr. Sharma.

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