Can Sleep Boost Flu Shot Effectiveness?

Not getting enough sleep before a flu jab can lower antibody production by up to 50%

Flu vaccinations are effective in around 70% of adults. But is there anything we can do that can help or hinder the jab?

Sure is.

Studies with animals have shown that sleep deprivation can completely eliminate the effect of flu vaccination.

But what about humans?

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Response To Immunization

According to a study by the Department of Medicine, University Of Chicago, people in a state of sleep debt leading up to a flu jab have up to 50% lower antibody production in the important 10 day phase after vaccination.

The study compared the immune response in:

• People limited to 4 hours sleep for 6 nights before a flu vaccine; and

• People getting the recommended 7.5-8 hours sleep 6 nights before a flu vaccine.

Those on limited sleep were then given catch-up sleep of 12 hours per night for 7 nights.

The researchers found that 10 days after immunisation, the group with limited sleep before vaccination had less than 50% mean antibody production of those well-slept before vaccination.

Here’s the graphs:

The researchers commented:

“our findings support the concept that adequate amounts of sleep are needed for optimal resistance to infectious challenge”.

The takeaway: get enough sleep to make your flu jab most effective.

The study was published in JAMA Journal Of The American Medical Association (Spiegel et al., 2002).