A new meta-analysis presented in the scientific journal Current Biology has found that people who get sufficient sleep at night tend to develop more antibodies that can potentially increase the effectiveness of vaccinations. In the analysis, the antibody response was compared between persons who slept for seven hours or more each night and those who slept for six hours or less. The findings indicated that getting more sleep increased the production of antibodies and enhanced response to a variety of vaccinations, including COVID-19 and the flu vaccine.
Study Origins
Researchers Eve Van Cauter, PhD, and Karine Spiegel, PhD, investigated the association between sleep and vaccination effectiveness, through the analysis of data from seven trials. Researchers were hoping to contribute in any possible way in the “fight” against SARS-Cov-2 during the lockdown of 2020, when academic work was halted. So, began the research by outlining the existing information about the connection between inadequate sleep and a weakened antibody response.
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Sleep and Immune System
Sleep is essential for maintaining a strong immune system, which boosts the overall immunity. While the total effect size for the impact of poor sleep on vaccination was significant for males while it was less significant for women. However, more data are still required to completely explain some of the variations identified between men and women.
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Healthy Sleep Habits
In the US, 40% of individuals say they don’t get enough sleep at night. People should set up a schedule and a regimen, abstain from coffee and using electronic gadgets just before going to bed, and getting adequate exercise during the day to help alleviate this. If these recommendations for good sleep hygiene aren’t helping, treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, or CBT-i can be helpful.
Takeaways
Making every possible attempt to get a regular 7-8 hours of sleep around the time of vaccination and understanding the connection between sufficient sleep and vaccination, including how many days of poor sleep duration affect the antibody response and the ideal time interval relative to the day of inoculation, are the study’s main takeaways for those taking an interest in how sleep can help their response to vaccination.
