Does more sleep improve the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine?
Since December, when the first person in the UK was given the Pfizer jab, there has been a steady incline in the UK population who have received one of the vaccines. There have been many studies regarding ways to optimise the immune system's response to the vaccines, and today, we will be looking at the topic of sleep before your vaccination.
Previous studies have examined flu vaccination success in regards to levels of sleep attained in the days leading up to the vaccine as well as afterwards and there have been countless studies that have looked at how well our immune systems works depending on the quality of someone’s sleep.
Looking at an influenza virus study as an example: Individuals were exposed to a vaccine (IgG antibody titres). In very simple terms, those in the test who had just four hours of sleep per night were immune in around four days but those without sleep deficits were immune in just two days.
It is clear, based on previous studies, sleep can make a clear difference to your immune system. Whilst there is no clear evidence thus far in regards specifically to the Sars-CoV-2 (COVID) vaccines, it is ‘safe2say’ a good night’s sleep in the days before and leading up to your vaccination won’t do you any harm. Best case scenario, it will help you build your immunity more quickly and maybe even more effectively.
“You’re still engaging the same processes within the immune system, so I would expect similar effects.” Professor Anna Whittaker has said.
Poor sleep patterns can add to depression and anxiety levels which over the last year has been reported to be climbing significantly. This can lead to low-grade inflammation throughout the body, which also seems to inhibit the production of antibodies.
There is a variety of similar research, examining many different types of vaccinations, it could be assumed that factors such as sleep, exercise etc. can all contribute to strengthening immunisation programs.
To summarise: embrace and enjoy extra sleep before and after your vaccination! Prioritising sleep, exercise and time spent around friends and family (obeying lockdown rules) have huge benefits in the normal everyday but especially in these times.
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This article was written by one of the Safe2Stay® team. Safe2Stay® is a Sanitising Fogger used across multiple industries and its use has become particularly prevalent since February 2020, learn more by clicking here.
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