Home LivingWellness6 expert-approved tips for dealing with hay fever at nightHow to stop allergy symptoms from ruining your sleepWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellness6 expert-approved tips for dealing with hay fever at nightHow to stop allergy symptoms from ruining your sleepWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
How to stop allergy symptoms from ruining your sleep
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty)
(Image credit: Getty)
UK summer is officially here, and along with light evenings and warmer weather, it has also brought with it plenty of runny noses, sneezes, and itchy eyes. That’s right, hay fever season is here. If you’re suffering at night, you might not be getting the quality sleep you need.
As resident sleep expert atEmma Sleep, we asked Theresa for her advice on how to deal with allergies, including hay fever, at night. Here’s what she had to say.
1. Take a hot shower before bed
“Your body and hair may have collected pollen during the day which can then affect you in bed,” says Theresa. “Taking a shower or bath before bed will help to wash away these allergens.” There’s a double benefit on offer here, too. Not only can a hot bath help combat your nighttime hay fever symptoms, it will also encourage your blood vessels to dilate, helping your body cool down before bed, which should help you drift off (it’s one of Theresa’stop tips for sleeping in a heatwave).
2. Change clothes when you get home
“It can be a good idea to take clothes that have been worn outside (and therefore might have picked up pollen) off when you arrive home,” suggests Theresa. Along the same lines, you’re probably going to have to start keeping your bedroom clean, to minimise the number of lingering allergens. “The presence of even the most negligible amounts of pollen (or other allergens) can provoke allergic reactions at night, which can cause sleep disruption and fragmentation.”
3. Check your bedding isn’t making things worse
Finally, make sure your bed isn’t making matters worse. “Allergy sufferers should stay clear of mattresses and bedding made of animal products such as hair, wool, or feathers as these materials can cause flare-ups for allergy sufferers. Most hypoallergenic beds are made with natural materials such as cotton or filled with artificial materials such as polymers which resist allergy-causing organisms,” explains Theresa. Many of today’sbest pillowsandbest duvetsare certified hypoallergenic, but if you have older bedding it might not be (here’s more onwhat to look for in a duvet for allergies).
4. Close windows and doors
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(Image credit: Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash)
(Image credit: Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash)
5. Try nasal breathing exercises
Before going to bed, Theresa suggests trying some controlledbreathing exercises. Again there are multiple associated benefits, from improved sleep quality, to reduced anxiety. But this article is about combatting Hayfever and other allergy symptoms, and here nasal breathing exercises, such as number 5 in the article linked just above, can help. A2011 studyshowed how nasal breathing exercises could be used to help manage allergic rhinitis, as the the small hairs in your nose help filter out allergens and pollen.
6. Take an antihistamine before bed
Many antihistamines have narcoleptic properties, and will make you feel a little drowsy. While that’s another good reason to opt to take them in the evening rather than the morning, Theresa says you should proceed with caution: “Although [taking antihistamines in the evening] might seem like a good idea in that will could make it easier to fall asleep, there is a possibility of developing a dependency on the drug, meaning that, once you stop using the drug, you risk not falling asleep as before.”
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