A runny nose, itchy eyes, constant sneezing; allergies like these can keep you up all night. This interruption in sleep can further lead to many complications concerning your health and productivity. Therefore, if you suffer from allergies that affect your sleep, continue reading below to learn a few strategies on how to sleep better with allergies.
A] How Do Allergies at Night Affect Sleep?
Allergies play one of the major roles in disrupting the quality of sleep. They impact not only your ability to fall asleep, but also interfere with the overall sleep cycle.
Allergens can irritate the nasal passage and trigger uncomfortable symptoms such as constant sneezing, nasal congestion, and watery eyes that can affect your breathing pattern.
A coughing fit, sneezing in sleep, or congested nose are some of the by-products of allergies that may lead to poor sleep.
- Due to poor sleep, you may feel tired and grumpy the next day, which could hamper work productivity. It could also leave you feeling sluggish throughout the day.
- It can affect your health and well-being negatively as your body requires optimum hours of sleep to function well.
- Lack of sleep can heighten your anxiety and stress response, making you vulnerable.
- Allergies can also make falling asleep after waking up harder.
Over time, allergy-induced sleep deprivation creates a vicious cycle that may lead you to rely on sedatives, which in the long run isn’t good for your overall general health.
Read: Does Seasonal Changes Affect Your Sleep
B] Smart Ways To Improve Sleep With Allergies
Here are some simple but effective tactics that can make a big difference to your otherwise difficult sleeping pattern.
1. Treat Your Allergies: The best way to have a good night’s sleep is to get your allergies treated. Start by evaluating your allergy, find out what exactly are you allergic to, and what treatment options are available. Several treatments can be used to curb allergies. Hence, consult with a doctor to identify your allergies and begin treatment at the earliest.
2. Raise Your Head: Congestion is a gravity issue. It worsens when you are lying down as there is no gravity, so the mucus only sits there, clogging your nostrils. Propping your head up on a comfortable pillow provides an elevation that makes a difference in some respiratory allergy symptoms that occur at night.
3. Avoid Dust Mites: Every house has dust that eventually leads to dust mites, which may take over the house and cause allergies. You can prevent dust mites by keeping the area they are most likely to be found clean, like your bed, mattress and pillow. Dust mites tend to feast on the skin cells that you shed during sleep. So, wash your bedding and pillowcases regularly to keep them free from dust mites. For extra protection, purchase a mattress protector, or opt for a natural latex mattress.
4. Use an Air Purifier: Air purifiers help improve sleep for people with and without allergies. An air purifier helps purify the bedroom air, helping you get rid of common household allergens like mold, dust mites, pet dander, and even pollen.
5. Close Doors and Windows: Open doors and windows during the day or at night invite several allergens into your home. Thus, keep your doors and windows closed to prevent allergens from entering your home or bedroom.
6. Shower Before Bed: Sweat, grime, dust and allergens are a part of daily life. Thus, after a tiring day, taking a shower before bed is a wise choice. Showering before bed helps wash off potential allergens/infections, ensuring you sleep peacefully at night. Therefore, make showers a part of your bedtime regime to improve sleep.
7. Stay Hydrated: Keep drinking water at regular intervals to stay hydrated during the day. This might provide relief for nasal symptoms. Drinking water moistens the nasal passages, which result in the thinning and loosening of mucus. However, avoid drinking fluids before going to bed, as it may warrant a few trips to the bathroom and compromise your sleep.
8. Consider Changing Your Pillow: If you are using a feather or down pillow, you might want to consider changing it to a hypo-allergic pillow. Here, organic pillows are the best choice since they are made with hypoallergenic materials and resistant to dust-mite, bacteria, and mold. In addition, keeping your head elevated with an extra pillow helps improve breathing and may alleviate congestion, improving sleep.
9. Keep Pets Out of the Bedroom: The two of the most common allergens, pet hair and dander, can impact your sleep to a great extent. Thus, it is recommended to keep pets out of the room. This may greatly relieve you of your allergies at night.
10. Manage Stress: Stress is very unhealthy for the body as well as the mind. It can keep you awake at night and trigger flare-ups of seasonal respiratory allergies. Most people who were targets of more than one allergy flare-up are reported to have comparatively higher levels of stress than those who did not show any symptoms of allergy. Hence, find out different ways to de-stress, such as yoga, meditation, practising relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. Or take part in other recreational activities that you enjoy. This can help you manage stress and improve your health and well-being.
#Top Mattresses For Better Sleep
aloha mattresses are more than just your normal latex mattress. They are handcrafted to perfection for optimal sleep.
- aloha Luxe Mattress: The aloha luxe mattress is an organic dual comfort mattress which an ideal blend of two comfort mattresses into one. It is soft, plush, and medium-firm, making it a perfect mattress for everybody as it is made of hypo-allergenic materials.
- aloha Classic Mattress: This GOLS-certified classic organic mattress by aloha ensures to provide you the best health and comfort. It is non-toxic and made with renewable and sustainable materials that foster a safe and healthy sleep environment without any intervention from allergens.
It is airy and can dissipate heat, keeping you cool throughout the time you sleep, ensuring you wake up without any morning allergy. Don’t hesitate when it comes to your kids. Ensure that they sleep comfortably at night. Check out some products that would help them sleep better, such as;
Further reading: Mattress Buying Guide: What to Look For