Can Vaccinations Make My Infant Sleep Better?

Getting your child vaccinated in the afternoon will help him or her to sleep better in the following 24 hours, according to a new study. The study reports that infants who were vaccinated after 1:30 in the afternoon could sleep longer the following day.

A small variation in the body temperature is considered to be a good response of the immune system and is normal in most of the infants. Sleep is also important in the immune response. Earlier studies have shown that in adults, poor or lack sleep, after taking a shot is associated with a weaker response of the immune system to the vaccine. Researcher Linda Frank, RN, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, feels that the study provides an insight into the best time for vaccination so that the child could have a good sleep and a good immune response. If confirmed by other studies then afternoon vaccinations should be recommended for infants to have a good response.

In this study, the researchers compared the sleep duration and body temperature of 70 infants. The children, who were 2-months-old, were observed for 24 hours before and after the vaccination. About 35 children got a dose of acetaminophen 30 minutes before the immunization and every four hours thereafter. Researchers feel that parents have conflicting views about whether acetaminophen should be given to infants before and after the vaccination.

The observation of the study showed that infants slept for more time (average 69 minutes) after immunization when compared to the 24 hours before taking the shot. The results also showed that children who were vaccinated after 1:30 p.m. and those who had a slight increase in the body temperature in response to the vaccines slept for more time over the next 24 hours. Acetaminophen was not found to be a significant factor in the sleep duration after considering all other factors like fever and discomfort.