Sleep could boost vaccination efficiency
Research from San Francisco’s University of California published in scientific journal Sleep has shown that a good night’s sleep after a travel vaccination can make the vaccination more effective. The researchers surveyed 125 people aged 40 to 60 who had been immunised with the Hepatitis B vaccine, and who had to complete ‘sleep diaries’ over the six-month period between the first and second doses and the final booster dose. Their antibody levels were measured at key points, and it was shown that those who generally had less than six hours sleep a night were 11.5 times less likely to be protected by the vaccine, compared with those who slept seven hours or more. Dr Aric Prather hopes the study will raise awareness of the problem of sleep deprivation, and its effects on the immune system. “With the emergence of our 24-hour lifestyle,” he says, “longer working hours and the rise in the use of technology, chronic sleep deprivation has become a way of life for many.” The study’s authors admit that more research is needed – this survey does not offer definitive proof of a link between sleep and vaccination effectiveness – but they do believe that it is a step in the right direction.
Research from San Francisco’s University of California published in scientific journal Sleep has shown that a good night’s sleep after a travel vaccination can make the vaccination more effective. The researchers surveyed 125 people aged 40 to 60 who had been immunised with the Hepatitis B vaccine, and who had to complete ‘sleep diaries’ over the six-month period between the first and second doses and the final booster dose. Their antibody levels were measured at key points, and it was shown that those who generally had less than six hours sleep a night were 11.5 times less likely to be protected by the vaccine, compared with those who slept seven hours or more. Dr Aric Prather hopes the study will raise awareness of the problem of sleep deprivation, and its effects on the immune system. “With the emergence of our 24-hour lifestyle,” he says, “longer working hours and the rise in the use of technology, chronic sleep deprivation has become a way of life for many.” The study’s authors admit that more research is needed – this survey does not offer definitive proof of a link between sleep and vaccination effectiveness – but they do believe that it is a step in the right direction.