Sleep and your immunity
Improving sleep to improve immune function
Sleep helps you fight infection and sickness by deploying an extensive response to invading bugs, but what if I told you that the effectiveness of your vaccine might be impacted by how much sleep you’re getting before the shot? In this post I’ll delve into this a little further.
But first, how sleep impacts your immunity…
One study exposed 150 healthy people to the common cold virus. These subjects were then monitored for their health status and immune response.
It found that those getting less sleep, 5 hours in the week before being exposed to the virus, had a 50% infection rate.
Those that slept seven or more hours had an infection rate of just 18%
Those sleepless nights may be significantly increasing your chance of catching something.
Getting enough sleep is key in bolstering your system to resist colds, cases of flu, and other infections.
The link between sleep and the effectiveness of vaccinations
When you have a vaccine, your body responds by generating antibodies, and this gives you protection against the infection in case of future exposure.
Multiple studies have found that sleep had a profound impact on your immune response to a vaccine.
A group of healthy young adults were divided into two groups;
One group was restricted to four hours of sleep per night for six nights then given the flu vaccine.
The other group, 7-8 hours of sleep per night for six nights, then given the flu vaccine.
Blood samples from both groups were revealing.
Those who had plenty of sleep in the week leading up to the vaccine generated a powerful antibody reaction, reflecting a robust and healthy immune system.
Those who didn’t sleep well-produced less than 50% of the immune reaction their well-slept counterparts managed. That is a significant difference in immunity.
It may also give us insight into why some people appear to have better protection from their vaccines than others.
This research has also been demonstrated in other types of vaccinations like hepatitis. So it would be fair to say if you’re looking to get the COVID vaccine to get your sleep right in the weeks leading up to the shot.
Some studies have even called for Drs to screen their patients on their sleeping habits immediately around their vaccines to help ensure optimum immune functioning.
So whether you’re looking to receive your vaccine or fighting an active infection, sleep is vital.
What to do when stress and overwhelm prevent you from sleeping?
I have written an entire post on improving sleep and what you can do to start shifting your bedtime and the circadian clock. Check that out here.
So amid a global pandemic where stress and anxiety are high and demands on us even higher, what can we do to ensure a good night’s sleep?
Evening routines and rituals are vital addressing things like; light exposure, screen time, avoiding emotionally triggering interactions in the evening (yes, leave that conversation with your mother-in-law for the morning)
Including natural and safe products to help reduce anxiety and improve sleep onset is also very useful.
Western herbal medicine does provide different natural herbal options to help you start shifting your nervous system function and improving your sleep quality.
Valarian
Probably one of the most common herbs used for sleep disorders, this one is also commonly prescribed for nervous tension and anxiety.
Hops
Yep, that stuff that they use to make your beer is also used in herbal medicine to help you relax and unwind and commonly used for nervousness and anxiety. It helps to settle the nervous system and aid the onset of sleep.
Passionflower
A pretty purple flower if you’ve ever seen it growing. This herb has grown in popularity and is very useful not just at bedtime but throughout the day to keep you calm and relaxed. It has a very soothing effect on the body and is a nice one to include in tea for a bedtime ritual.
Seeing a naturopath who practices herbal medicine and can prescribe the right blend for you is paramount so that you get the most out of your herbs. It’s not uncommon that I would prescribe a formula that’s exclusive for right before bed.
This is the time when you’re most likely to get that racing mind that just won’t shut off!
Of course, if you’re struggling with fatigue, poor immunity and recurring infections, you should seek out the help of a naturopathic practitioner. Proper functional testing to assess for potential imbalances and issues is key to getting to the appropriate protocol for you.
You can spend a long time guessing what might be wrong with your sleep, but if you have long-standing chronic issues, it’s something I strongly suggest you get across as the long term consequences can be pretty significant.
Studies mentioned:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26118561/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1032061