You’ve probably heard the old adage that laughter is the best medicine, and it’s true that a good laugh offers plenty of physical and mental health benefits. It can help you manage your stress and, as Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, a neurophysiologist and sleep expert tells us, “studies show that laughing can boost your immune system by increasing levels of immune cells,” too.

One of the other areas in which laughter can help you out may come as a surprise, though: it’s sleep. And as it turns out, a lot of us could use a bit of help with our sleep at the moment. In a survey conducted by King’s College London, almost two-thirds (63%) of all respondents reported that their sleep has been worse in recent months as a result of stress caused by (you guessed it) the coronavirus crisis.

“But how can laughter help?” I hear you ask. Well, Stephanie Romiszewski is a consultant physiologist and director of the Sleepyhead Clinic, and she explains that it comes down to the fact that “feeling content and balanced is helpful for sleep.”

This is how laughing can help you sleep better