Getting a good night’s sleep may make all the difference when you get your flu shot.
Sleep specialist Matthew Walker, the bestselling author of “Why We Sleep,” told CNN that a lack of sleep can reduce the normal antibody response to viruses and infections, which could make the flu shot almost useless.
- Walker pointed to a 2002 study and a 2020 study that suggest sleeping before getting a vaccine can improve its efficacy.
- More studies need to be done, he said.
- “We then need to study, is there that same relationship between sleep and your successful COVID immunization, because if there is, then that could also be a game changer,” he told CNN.
Recent research
One study from the University of Chicago compared antibody responses from sleep-deprived patients and well-rested ones. The antibodies were significantly lower in those who had less sleep, Chicago Health explained.
- Fast forward 10 days. Those who were sleep-deprived had about half of the antibodies as those who had good rest before the shot, according to Chicago Health.
- “If you do get the flu, sleep is good medicine.”
The importance of a flu shot
Health experts have said that getting your flu shot is undeniably important ahead of the 2020 fall season since there’s the novel coronavirus to worry about.
The flu and COVID-19 often have similar symptoms, which could make people fret that they have one or the other during the winter months when both viruses are at work. Getting a shot can mitigate that risk, experts told Deseret.
Experts said getting a flu shot can help you stop spreading sickness, too.
- “You’re helping yourself be safer, but you’re also helping the community be safer, because you’re less likely to transmit influenza,” Mark Greenwood, the medical director for family medicine with the Intermountain Medical Group, told the Deseret News.