March 19 – World Sleep Day, Poor Sleep Lowers Immune Response to Viruses

Today we mark the World Sleep Day. Studies over the past year have shown the divergent negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on sleep quality. These data are particularly worrying given the relationship between sleep and immunity.

Dr. Petar Chipev - specialist in sleep medicine at the European Society for Sleep Research and pulmonologist commented on BNR:

"Many patients with coronavirus have sleep disorders both during and after the infection. In the course of illness problems with sound sleep stem from the immediate effect of the virus over the central nervous system.

He also explained the benefits of sleep for those vaccinated against coronavirus:

  "It does matter how much we sleep, as sleep  affects the magnitude of immune response we will exhibit to "provocation." After vaccination, people who sleep some 7,5-8 hours develop a much fuller and stronger immune response with almost twice as many antibodies as those who are chronically underslept in the period before and after vaccination."