Study: Babies sleep more soundly after an afternoon immunisation

Babies who receive immunisations in the afternoon may enjoy better quality sleep after their jab, compared to children who have their immunisations in the morning, according to new research. In a study of 70 two-month-old children by the University of California, San Francisco, it was revealed that infants who received their injection after 1:30pm were generally found to sleep better following their shot, whether in their cots or sleeping in a double bed with their parents. Lead author of the study Linda Franck emphasised the importance of sleep during the vaccination process and the findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, showed that the babies who experienced higher temperatures after the vaccine got more sleep. The research is hoped to develop alternatives to fever reducers, which are given to infants before their immunisations to help prevent temperature levels from climbing - and consequently reduce the amount of sleep incurred - after a shot is administered. Franck, a paediatric nurse at the university, said of the findings: "Based on what we currently know about sleep and the immune system, parents should try to help their babies to sleep well in the days before as well as after immunisations. "What we are learning about sleep and immune response to vaccines is just another reason for parents to learn how to help their baby sleep well."