This Natural Sleep Aid May Lessen Covid Symptoms and Make Your Vaccine More Effective
After a long wait, the American public is starting to have access to Covid vaccines. But there are a lot of questions that still need answers when it comes to how they work, what their side effects are, and what makes them more or less effective.
Several of the new vaccines on the market are saying that they’re 90 percent effective in adults. However, efficacy depends on a number of individual factors including lifestyle habits (such as drinking alcohol) and existing health conditions, so the Covid vaccine may not be as effective for certain people.
One thing that does seem to make a difference and that’s total in your control, however, is the quality and amount of sleep you get right before and after a vaccination. In fact, people who suffer from varying amounts of sleep loss or insomnia may have significantly reduced amounts of antibodies after getting the vaccine and also may not be immune for as long as others.
In a brand new study, researchers found that including a melatonin regimen for two weeks before and for at least four weeks after a vaccination can improve the efficacy of the Covid vaccine. It can also affect the duration of time that the vaccine is effective. Scientists are still figuring out exactly why this works, but they believe it has to do with sleep strengthening the immune system’s response and boosting cells abilities to process antibodies.
Melatonin could also have other benefits when it comes to Covid. One big data study showed that melatonin might protect people from getting Covid in the first place and may be part of a potential treatment regimen to help folks fend off the most severe Covid symptoms. It’s still early in the research process, but scientists believe that melatonin’s role in helping people get a good night’s sleep, as well as its anti-inflammatory properties, are what’s driving this response.
A doctor can provide prescription-strength melatonin, but there are also inexpensive over-the-counter options to try, like Carlyle Fast Dissolve Melatonin (Buy on Amazon, $8.99) and Natrol Melatonin (Buy on Amazon, $11.49).
In addition, working on other aspects of sleep quality is important, like finding a room temperature, mattress type, noise level, and pajama style that work for you and don’t cause you to toss and turn through the night.
Researchers are very much in the early stages of understanding sleep quality’s full effects on the vaccine and Covid in general, but it never hurts to pick up some melatonin and get a better night’s sleep before getting vaccinated — or just to feel more restful in the morning. Just make sure you talk to your doctor first before adding any new supplement to your regimen.
