Sleep Your Way to Vaccine Protection!

Did you know that getting enough sleep may play a crucial role in the effectiveness of your vaccine?

According to a recent study – which used statistics to review 7 prior studies – sleeping for fewer than six hours per night around the time of vaccination can significantly decrease the body's antibody response.

The study, published on March 13 in the journal Current Biology, analyzed data on the association between sleep duration and antibody responses for the influenza and hepatitis vaccines.

The analysis revealed that adults who slept between seven and nine hours per night before and after the vaccine showed a more robust antibody response.

I’ll note that these findings were primarily seen in men, which may be a result of not accounting for hormone fluctuations in women, which are known to affect immune function.

The researchers suggest that large-scale studies are needed to determine the specifics around when people should get sufficient sleep to promote an optimal vaccine response; but for now, if you’re sleep-deprived, jet-lagged, work a night shift or otherwise have swings in your sleep-wake cycle, consider delaying the vaccination until you can get a full night of sleep.

Thanks for being here, I’ll see you next week!