As the nation blazes ahead with its vaccination programme to tackle the spread of Covid-19, it’s only natural that people have questions about the Covid-19 vaccine and what it entails! As with any vaccination, those who have had the jab have reported a number of mild side effects, which can vary from person to person. Of course, these are a small price to pay for the vaccination, but many are still interested and want to know what they can expect from their upcoming shot. 

When it comes to vaccines, you might not be surprised to learn that the thing we’re most interested in is sleep! So, can a vaccine impact your sleep? We know how important it is to get a full night’s rest, whatever that looks like for you – so what can receivers of the jab expect in terms of their forty winks?

As we are yet in the early stages of side-effect reporting, there is no data to suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine has a detrimental – or otherwise! – impact on your sleep… apart from maybe a sore arm you don’t want to sleep on. The much more interesting question, as it turns out, is how your sleep affects your vaccine: a key area of research for scientists investigating the pandemic and our bodies’ responses.

How does sleep affect the Covid-19 vaccine? 

It seems that how well – or poorly – people sleep both before and after they get the vaccination can impact how their body (and immune system in particular) responds to the jab! According to research by Christian Benedicta and Jonathan Cedernaes published in accredited medical journal The Lancet, there is evidence to suggest that sleep affects how “well” the Covid-19 vaccine works: with how well-rested a patient is determines to some extent how effective the vaccine is. 

The pair report that, especially in those with a compromised immune system, “extending sleep duration during the night after the vaccination might help ensure an adequate response to vaccines and potentially contribute to reducing the incidence of severe disease”. 

President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Dr. Kannan Ramar said, in a news release: “As COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed, it is of utmost importance that patients continue to prioritize their sleep to maintain optimal health. Getting sufficient, high-quality sleep on a regular basis strengthens your body’s immune system and optimizes your response to a vaccine.”

This amazing finding that a good degree of rest can help your vaccine to be effective is corroborated by a 2012 study, which found that poor sleep can impact how our bodies respond to vaccinations more generally. When Aric Prather, now a UCSF researcher, was a doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, he performed the first study outside of a sleep laboratory which showed that sleep duration is directly tied to vaccine immune response. 

 

Sleeping Tips to Maximise Your Jab’s Immune Response

With the UK on the brink of offering vaccination to all adults – and as the data rolls in, a high uptake rate (more than 95% of eligible over 75-year olds are understood to have accepted their vaccine) – it’s perhaps no surprise that many people want to do everything they can to help the vaccine take effect! With that in mind, our sleep experts here at Odd offer their sleep tips for how you can get a good night’s shut-eye: 

  • Get set up with a bedtime and morning routine – allowing yourself to become tired with essential oils, ambient lighting and a shower or bath before bed can help you sleep better
  • Restrict your devices from the bedroom! Stopping using blue-light devices like a phone, tablet or laptop 30 minutes before bed can help your brain to switch off at night and improve the quality of your sleep 
  • Make sure your mattress isn’t impeding your sleep! A mattress isn’t designed to last a lifetime – and a cheap, high-street or foam mattress certainly won’t. A bespoke or made-to-measure mattress can improve the quality of your sleep and help you feel well-rested
  • Restrict your intake of sugary foods, caffeine or alcohol before bed to ensure you’re hydrated without being stimulated, to get your body unwinding before bedtime

 

Save Lives – With Sleep!

So, if a solid night’s sleep might help your immunity – that’s good enough for us! Here at Odd, we exist to give our customers that perfect night’s sleep – but if we can help our customers to be a little safer at the same time, that’s a win in our book. Our range of bespoke mattresses, standard mattresses, bed bases and bespoke bedding are designed to give our customers the sleep of a lifetime every night, for that all-important rest. 

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