Here’s why scientists say sleep affects your vaccine immunity

Sleeping less than six hours could reduce immune response to vaccination
Study: The link was particularly pronounced in men
Lack of sleep comparable to COVID antibodies two months after vaccination

Updated: Mar 16, 2023 / 10:40 AM CDT

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(NewsNation) — The amount of sleep you get before and after a vaccine may reduce your immune response to vaccination, according to a new study.

The study, published in Current Biology, examined sleep and immune function after vaccination against influenza A and hepatitis A and B.

While people’s immune response to vaccination varies based on factors like age, biological sex and general health, the study suggests that less than six hours of sleep per night before and after vaccination may reduce protection against viruses or bacteria.

The study analyzed self-reported sleep duration where antibodies were reduced in people who slept less than six hours. However, the association between lack of sleep and immunity after vaccination was not scientifically significant.

The study found that one reason for the difference between objective and self-reported data is that people typically overestimate the amount of sleep they get each night.

People with less than six hours’ sleep produced fewer antibodies than people who slept for seven hours or more, according to the data. The impact of insufficient sleep was greater for adults aged 18 to 60, compared to adults over 65.

When comparing studies looking at only objective measures, including sleep labs or sleep tracking devices, there was a “robust” association, especially for men, according to the study.

Meanwhile, women typically have a stronger vaccination response than men, the study said. The impact of sleep duration and antibody response was seen in men, but researchers said more data is needed for women due to fluctuating sex hormone levels, which are known to affect immune function.

The study found that large-scale studies are also needed to determine when people should get sufficient sleep to promote an optimal vaccine response around the time of inoculation,

Comparable data on antibody response to the COVID-19 vaccines were not included in the study. However, researchers said data showed that sleep reduction was comparable to the waning of COVID antibodies two months after vaccination.