Take Allergy Medications At Night
If you currently take an antihistamine or allergy medication in the morning, consider taking it at night.
Many allergy medications, such as Zyrtec, are recommended every 24 hours. By taking the medication before bedtime youre more likely to get through the night without the active ingredients wearing off or becoming less effective closer to the end of the 24 hour period.
As with all medications though, its best if you consult with your doctor.
Allergy Fatigue: How To Stop Allergies From Draining Your Energy
Being a parent comes with countless responsibilities. Juggling everything from work to relationships while focusing on your familys needs takes a lot of energy, and it can leave you feeling drained at the end of the day. If you suffer from allergies, your symptoms might make finding the energy to complete everyday tasks even more challenging. Its called allergy fatigue, and youre not alone. A lot of allergy sufferers experience low energy levels and brain fog when regularly exposed to allergens.
Allergy fatigue is a very real problem. Other allergy symptoms like itchiness, congestion and breathing problems can make it impossible to get a good nights rest, and the histamine your body produces when exposed to allergens can make you even more tired.
If youre sick of allergies making you tired, keep reading to learn how you can prevent allergy fatigue.
Allergens That Affect Sleep
- Mold
Dust mites
Dust is largely made up of dead skin cells, and dust mites are the tiny creatures who feed on those dead skin cells. These mites cause an allergic reaction, and since theyre around all year, they can cause allergy symptoms in every season.
Pollen
Pollen is one of the most well-known seasonal allergens, since more pollen is typically released in the spring when plants are flowering.
Pet dander
Another year-round allergen that may affect your sleep is pet dander. Pet dander is basically dead skin cells from your pets, and just like dust, they can enter our airways and cause irritation and allergic reactions.
Mold
Mold is a particularly harmful allergen that typically grows in damp environments. It can grow in soft furnishings, under the carpet, or even in the walls.
Read more: How mold affects your sleep
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Keep Pets Out Of The Bedroom
Cant seem to get all of the pet dander out of the carpet when you vacuum? It may be a better idea to keep the pets out of your bedroom altogether. The pet dander can get into your carpet, but it can also get into your bedding, which in turn can get the pet dander in your hair. Then you carry around those allergens near your face all day long, causing more and more allergy symptoms.
Crank Up The Dehumidifier
Warm, moist air is a breeding ground for allergy-triggering mold, mildew, dust mites, and bacteria. According to the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency, ideal indoor humidity is between 30 percent and 50 percent. In rainy and humid environments, keeping a dehumidifier in your bedroom helps suck out some of the moisture so it’s harder for allergens and mold to grow.
Of course, arid climates and too-dry conditions can contribute to sore throats, itchy skin and itchy eyes, even raising risk of sinus infections. A cool mist or ultrasonic humidifier can help balance conditions out when the air gets too dry.
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Sleepy Time Tips To Decrease Allergies And Sleep Deprivation
During the deepest level of sleep, your body is revitalized and tissue damage is repaired. Sleep helps restore the body and strengthens the immune system. Yet difficulty sleeping may accentuate your allergy symptoms, making a congested nose feel even worse.
To get sounder sleep, it takes a combination of steps, including nasal saline irrigation, allergy medicine, and lifestyle measures, says Murray Grossan, MD, a Los Angeles-based ENT and author of The Sinus Cure. Grossan offers these tips:
Watch your diet and avoid drinking caffeine and alcohol for at least six hours before bedtime.
- Check your medications, as some allergy medicines can cause insomnia or nervousness. The ingredients and side effects are listed on the medication label.
- Consider taking an antihistamine like diphenhydramine at night. It causes drowsiness in many people.
- Get regular exercise for sounder sleep, but don’t exercise at night as it may keep you keyed up. Try to exercise outside during the early morning hours to gain the extra benefit of natural sunlight. This helps to set your body’s natural circadian rhythm for regular sleep.
- Keep the windows closed in the bedroom to keep out pollen and nighttime dampness.
- Raise the head of your bed a few inches. The higher the head, the less the nasal congestion with allergies.
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Talk To Your Sleep Specialist And/or Sleep Coach
Even if you follow these tips and make the necessary changes, sleep problems may still persist. If youre struggling with insomnia, snoring, or stop breathing while you sleep, consult your doctor. You may require a sleep test to potentially identify more serious sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea .
While nighttime allergy symptoms do not always accompany OSA, a home sleep test can help you determine whether your symptoms will require more treatment than what can be done in the home.
Dont let your allergies keep you up at night. There are easy steps you can take to ensure that your symptoms are under control so you can breathe easily. But if your seasonal allergies continue to affect your ability to sleep, contact us today to schedule an assessment of your symptoms.
References:
Sublett, J.L. Effectiveness of Air Filters and Air Cleaners in Allergic Respiratory Diseases: A Review of the Recent Literature. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 11, 395 .
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How Do You Sleep With Allergies
One of the major irritants in the United States and across the world is allergies. Allergies are often triggered by outdoor allergens and irritants, which can cause a person to have a runny nose, itchy throat or watery eyes. To combat these symptoms, its recommended that people with these symptoms sleep in a cool, dark room with closed windows. If this is not possible and if youre allergic to pets, there are air purifiers that will help filter out those allergy triggers. There are also allergy pillows which can help keep your head away from your pillow while you sleep so that you dont breathe in allergens into your nasal cavity. Changing your pillowcase often is important to reduce exposure to allergens brought home by you for example in your hair. Washing your hair every night and keeping your body clean can also help eliminate allergens from getting to you when you sleep. Even if none of these things help keep allergies at bay during the nighttime hours, its recommended that people with them still get a proper amount of sleep for their health and wellbeing.
Ive outlined some extended tips for how to better sleep during allergy periods below.
Allergic Rhinitis And Sleep
Allergic rhinitis commonly affects a persons quality of sleep due to nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and itchy nose and eyes. Research shows that approximately 65% of people with nasal allergies feel that their symptoms interfere with sleeping.
Treatment of nasal congestion, such as intranasal corticosteroid nasal sprays, may reduce symptoms of allergic rhinitis to help you get a good night’s sleep.
Allergic rhinitis is also associated with asthma. Having both conditions results in a more significant sleep disturbance than having only one.
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Sleeping Better With Allergies
Did you know that allergy symptoms are worse at night? Try these expert solutions for sleeping better with allergies.
Allergy symptoms reach their peak before dawn, so getting a good night’s sleep can be a big problem for people with allergies. Studies show that three quarters of people with allergies wake up in the middle of the night due to allergy symptoms, and 93 percent have trouble sleeping.
“Allergies contribute to sleep disorders like sleep apnea and also to snoring. Difficulty getting a night of restful sleep can lead to fatigue during the day and make it even harder to recover from allergy symptoms,” says Jill Poole, MD, an allergist at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
How Allergies Can Ruin Your Sleep
Almost any kind of allergy can ruin your sleep, whether it’s an itchy rash or a food allergy that upsets your stomach, but the two biggest sleep-killers are nasal allergies and asthma. Nasal allergies include seasonal allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, and perennial allergic rhinitis, which is the type that lasts all year. When you have a nasal allergy, the tissues inside your nose swell and block your breathing at night. Symptoms of nasal allergy that interfere with sleep include:
- Snoring
- Periods of interrupted breathing called sleep apnea
- Headache
- A dry or sore throat from breathing through your mouth
Symptoms that interfere with sleep if you have asthma include:
Sleep Remedies: Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
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Combating Allergies At Night
- Swap to hypoallergenic bedding: If you suffer from a fungal spore or dust mite allergy, consider changing to wool bedding. Wool is naturally resistant to these tiny creatures, keeping them out of your bedding and helping to alleviate your symptoms.
- Harness the power of wool in your mattress: Bring additional hypoallergenic benefits to your bed by switching your synthetic mattress for a wool mattress, providing one less place to harbour dust mites and mould spores in the bedroom. Thanks to its natural hypoallergenic qualities, wool makes for the best mattress for allergies and asthma.
- Keep windows closed: If pollen is your trigger, use a fan to keep cool at night instead.
- Provide pet beds: Keep cats and dogs out of the bedroom to limit your allergen exposure at night. Instead, give them designated pet beds to encourage them to sleep in their own space. Training and patience may be needed to help them adapt to their new routine!
- Avoid synthetic carpets: Choose 100% wool or wood for your bedroom floor. This will mean one less place where mould spores and dust mites can hide, providing you with a healthier sleeping environment.
- Focus on relaxation: Did you know that stress can make allergy symptoms worse? By creating a calming environment in your bedroom, youll be able to drift off to sleep more easily. Techniques such as meditation, playing a soothing soundtrack and keeping TVs and other electronic devices out of the bedroom can all help.
Use Hot Water For Laundry
A study at Yonsei University in South Korea looked at what it took to clean dust mites, dog dander, and tree pollen three of the most common allergens off your sheets.
For dust mites it turns out that cold water killed 5 to 8 percent. Warm water killed 7 to 11 percent. Hot water 60°C or 140°F killed 100 percent.
For dog dander the results were similar although nearly all allergens were removed at all wash temperatures when rinsing twice or more.
For tree pollen using hot water was more effective than other temperatures. Rinsing at least once removed tree pollen at all temperatures.
Wash clothes and bedding weekly, says Dr. Anderson. Its the only way to stay on top of the allergens that disrupt sleep.
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How To Stop Drooling In Your Sleep
One of the most common and frustrating things we face in our homes is drooling or snoring from a loved one. It can be downright embarrassing at times, not to mention stressful when you have work the next day. Fortunately, there are ways that people with sleep apnea or other breathing problems can manage their symptoms without resorting to medication and surgery.
The how to stop drooling in your sleep home remedies is a question that has been asked many times. There are several things that you can do to prevent yourself from drooling while sleeping.
Did you know that the typical human makes 3 to 6 cups of saliva every day? We know, its revolting. However, all that drool may not be as disgusting as you think.
Saliva is mostly made up of water and is an important component of good dental hygiene. Saliva helps you taste and chew, fights infections, reduces bad breath, and preserves your tooth enamel, in addition to keeping your teeth strong.
Even people who have established successful evening rituals may be frustrated by drooling while sleeping. So, what causes it, and how can you stop drooling in your sleep?
Keep Your Furniture As Dust
Most people are surprised by the amount of debris and dust collected in nooks and crannies in the room. Avoid heavy drapes and upholstered furniture in the bedroom. Avoid floor-to-floor carpet, if possible. Use tightly-woven fabric for your sheets and pillowcase to prevent trapping of dust. Avoid dust collectors, such as stuffed animals, fake flowers, and old books in the bedroom.
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Can Allergies Bring On Sleep Apnea
Yes, severe allergic reactions where the sinuses are stuffed up can cause snoring or the more serious obstructive sleep apnea. Even if youre not experiencing nasal congestion, if your allergies cause your tonsils and/or adenoids to swell, they can block your windpipe and cause sleep apnea symptoms.
Allergies have been linked to worsened symptoms of sleep apnea, as hasasthma.Verified SourceNational Library of Medicine Worlds largest medical library, making biomedical data and information more accessible.View sourceLikely in part because these conditions have overlapping risk factors.
Prioritizing Sleep When You Have Symptoms
Nixing allergy triggers isnt always easy, but making the effort is worth it.
When allergies affect the amount of sleep you receive and the quality of your sleep, May says, they can end up having an impact on your quality of life and causing more severe health concerns. Getting a good nights sleep helps to strengthen your immune system, which helps fight infection and allergy symptoms.
Creating an allergy-specific bedtime routine is also one way to find relief in discomfort. For example, instead of jumping straight into bed, wind down with diffusers and essential oils, which can aid with nasal congestion and relaxation.
Try box breathing exercises to get air flowing through your lungs and keep your phone hidden so you can focus on sleep, rather than hoping a last-minute web search will save the night. Because the best solution for allergies during sleep may just let your immune system work overnight.
All prices were accurate at the time of publication.
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Can Cpap Therapy Help With Allergies
Yes, using a CPAP machine with a humidifier can ease allergy symptoms such as congestion and dry mouth. Using a CPAP machine without a humidifier can irritate the nose because your body has to heat up the air as it enters. The humidifier ensures the air flowing into your nose is already warmed, easing the strain on your body.
Ways To Sleep Better During Allergy Season
Serial Entrepreneur, CEO at Amerisleep, CEO at OCLU
It might not feel like spring quite yet in some parts of the country, but as warmer weather approaches, blooming flowers and endless loads of allergy-inducing pollen will be here in the blink of a eye.
Of course, if you already suffer from seasonal allergies, you know that the itching, sneezing, stuffiness and general discomfort don’t stop at bedtime. Like a cold or the flu, allergies can make quality shut-eye much harder to achieve. In fact, more than one-third of allergy sufferers say that their symptoms impact their sleep, according to a recent survey by allergen barrier bedding company AllerEase.
When you throw sleep deprivation on top of some already unpleasant symptoms, you’re practically guaranteed to feel less than optimal for the next few months. The good news is that with a little bit of effort, you can turn your bedroom into an allergen-free zone — and get more of the symptom-free rest you crave. Here’s how.
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Whether You Have Seasonal Allergies Or A More Chronic Case Learn How You Can Improve Your Sleep
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The sniffling, sneezing misery of allergies can affect nearly every aspect of our lives, from getting our work done to simply going for a walk. So it makes sense that allergies affect our sleep as well.
Did you know that one-third of allergy sufferers say that their sleep is compromised due to their allergy symptoms?
Its true thanks to allergy symptoms, millions of people struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, and sleep soundly. If you have seasonal allergies, it might not seem like such a big deal to lose some sleep for a few weeks once per year, but many people actually have year-round allergies that get worse in the spring.
Household allergens like dust, pet dander, and mold can negatively affect your sleep all year long. If you arent getting the high-quality sleep you want , take some time to consider whether your allergies could be to blame.
Wash Out Your Nasal Passages
When allergens, dust, and mold enter your nasal passages, they tend to get stuck in the membrane lining those passages. Inflammation sets in, your nose becomes swollen and clogged, and a nasty sinus infection can be the result. Fortunately, however, nasal irrigation, if it is done correctly and gently, can remove allergens, irritants, and inflammatory mucus, says William H. Anderson, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.
To wash out your nasal passages: Fill a bowl with 2 cups of water that feels as though its around body temperature. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Pick up a small bulb syringe and squeeze out all the air. Put the narrow end into the saltwater solution and release the bulb to suck up the saltwater into the bulb. Insert the tip of the syringe into one nostril-no farther than the width of your fingertip-and tilt the syringe tip toward the outer corner of your eye. Gently release the bulb and allow the water to gently squirt into your nose as you continue to lean over the sink. Let the water drain out of your nostril back into the sink. Dont be alarmed if it comes out of your other nostril or your mouth. Both nostrils and the back of your mouth are all connected. Repeat the procedure, switch nostrils, and then wash the second nostril twice.
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