Sleep can influence the body’s innate immunity, the body’s front-line response to any form of threat. It can also affect adaptive or acquired immunity, which happens when the body’s immune system recognizes a threat and releases an immediate response to attack it. Vaccines are one way the body can develop acquired immunity.
There are three ways sleep can affect the effectiveness of a vaccine:
- Fewer antibody production. Insufficient sleep is linked with the production of fewer antibodies in response to a vaccine. On the other hand, having a longer sleep duration is linked to a 50% boost in antibody production.
- Lack of sleep before and after vaccination can affect vaccine effectiveness. A 2020 study found that in order to optimize the effectiveness of a vaccine, it’s imperative that patients get restorative sleep ahead of getting the vaccine and after.
- Stress can inhibit vaccine effectiveness. Psychological stress can undercut vaccine response and lower the body’s production of antibodies, according to research. There have also been studies linking loneliness and lack of social support to the reduced effectiveness of vaccines.
Many of us take sleep for granted without realizing that it’s one of the most important factors that keep us healthy and well. As a licensed and certified sleep clinic in Bronx, New York, we at iSLeep Program are dedicated to helping you and your loved ones find the best way to build a healthy sleeping habit and live a healthier life.
If you or your loved one is suffering from a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, you may reach out to our sleep disorder center in Brooklyn, New York.
Learn more about sleep apnea therapy in New York City, New York, here.