Why Do My Allergies Come At Night

What Causes Allergy Symptoms Worsen At Night And In The Morning

Everyone experiences allergies slightly differently, but there are some noticeable consistencies.

If you regularly sleep in a reclined position, this allows congestion to build up, making coughing, sneezing, and headaches worse. Since we are horizontal for most of the night , your allergy symptoms can get worse.

This is one of those times when knowledge is power sleeping with a few pillows propping up your head can help lessen your morning allergy symptoms.

Were also in our bedrooms for a long time at night. That means if there are already allergens in our space, were continuously being exposed to them. Introduce an air purifier or air filtration system to minimize this issue, and clean your room frequently. Youll thank us later.

You can also make sure the clothes that you wear in your room and house are not the same clothes you wore outside, since you dont want to bring your outdoor irritants indoors.

Consider That Your Pillow And Mattress May Be The Blame

Pillows and mattresses are great for you getting a good nights sleep, but they also excel at harboring allergy triggers such as dust mites, pollen, and pet dander. Replacing pillows or covering them with an anti-allergy pillow case helps. In addition, there are anti-allergen mattress covers for sale that are effective in helping to relieve nighttime allergy symptoms.

Wash Your Clothes Immediately

If youve spent any time outside during high pollen count dates youll benefit from a quick change of clothes when you get home instead of continuing to lounge around in them.

Rather than wait until laundry day, throw them into the washer and immediately wash your clothes. Even when you cant see the pollen or allergens they linger on your clothes and contribute to inflammation and upper respiratory allergies.

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Which Allergy Medications Can Help Nighttime Allergy Symptoms

Two types of allergy medications may help nighttime allergies. “Antihistamines may help with sneezing and postnasal drip,” Berger says, while medications help with the stuffiness and nasal congestion.”

But Berger also suggests that a better approach to treating allergies might be the inhaled nasal steroids and intranasal antihistamines. “These inhaled nasal puffs and sprays address all four allergy symptoms of sneezing, itching, runny nose and mucus formation, and nasal congestion and swelling of the mucous membranes.”

If you try the inhaled nasal steroids, Berger advises taking these two weeks before pollen season begins to prevent allergy symptoms. You may plan on staying on inhaled nasal steroids for months, if needed, to keep allergies at bay and avoid sleep deprivation.

If you’re allergic to your pet, Berger suggests seeing an allergist before you consider giving away the family dog or cat.

“Many things can trigger symptoms of allergies such as nasal congestion, even nonallergic rhinitis caused by changes in temperature or weather. See an allergist to find out if you truly have allergies before making drastic changes at home.”

Are Allergens Present In Your Bedroom

It might surprise you to learn that the CDC states that air quality levels inside the home are up to five times lower than those outdoors. The reason? We tend to keep the windows and doors to our home shut, especially at night.

As a result, the recirculating air inside the home continues to experience a decline as we use it up with our breathing. However, that’s not the only problem with indoor air quality. Peet dander and dust accumulate in the air, carpets, surfaces, and upholstery around the home. As these levels increase in the air, affected individuals may start to notice symptoms of an allergy attack.

During the winter, we may burn fireplaces or gas heaters indoors to stay warm. However, they also release smoke and volatile organic compounds into the air as they burn fuel or wood. All these particles and gases play a role in diminishing the air quality inside the home.

If you’re going to bed, then you might have left your bedroom window open during the day. If that’s the case, pollen might drift into your room and settle on your bedding and pillow. These particles end up finding their way onto your face and into your lings, causing the onset of an allergy attack.

Some people might allow dust levels to accumulate in their bedroom, developing the ideal conditions for dust mites to spread. Dust mites create even more dust, and they commonly live in the furniture and your bedroom mattress.

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Why Do My Allergies Get Worse At Night

Allergy triggers and symptoms are unique to each individual. Allergies can depend on your body, environment, and even geographic location. Various factors can cause allergy symptoms to worsen in the evening for many people. You may spend the day with few or no allergy symptoms, only to experience sniffles and itchy eyes when you go to bed. Allergy symptoms can get worse at night because one of the places where dust and pet dander build up are your mattress. If you have seasonal or environmental allergies, your symptoms may come and go at different times of the day. You may experience worse nighttime allergies, morning allergies, or even both.

You’re Alone With Your Thoughts And Sniffles

Why do allergies get worse at night? “Besides the fact that all illnesses feel worse at night?” quipped Dr. Rosenstreich. “When you’re busy during the day, you might forget about it and feel a little better,” said Dr. Rosenstreich. “When you’re lying in bed, most people aren’t thinking about anything else, and symptoms feel much worse.”

For that reason, nighttime is prime time to try over-the-counter allergy meds, said Dr. Rosenstreich. Look for an oral antihistamine or a corticosteroid nasal spray that can help limit congestion and reduce inflammation.

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Other Tips For Lessening Nighttime Allergies And Getting Better Sleep

Here are some of our top tips for getting your night allergies under control and your sleep back on track:

• If you think its indoor mold thats worsening your nighttime allergies, make sure you have adequate ventilation in every room of the house. This goes double for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements, where humidity levels can change more often.
• For indoor mold allergies, you also want to use dehumidifiers in the above rooms, as these keep too much moisture from forming.
• Make sure your home doesnt have any pipes or roof seals with leaks. If you spot these, get them repaired.
• For those with cockroach allergies, call an exterminator. They can tell you if there are any upstairs gaps where cockroaches can get into your bedroom. For instance, they may squeeze in through a window, a crack in the wall, or a small crevice.
• After youre done spending time with your pet, change clothes and wash the ones you wore while spending time with your animal. Dont bring clothes into your bedroom unless theyre clean.
• If you have a dust mite allergy, wash your sheets and other bedding at a high temperature, at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The hot water will help remove any lingering mites.
• Make sure you change and clean your bedding every week to keep dust mites away.
• Get plastic or fabric covers for your pillows, box spring, and mattresses so dust mites cant get into your bed.

Why Does Hay Fever Worsen At Night

Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is a condition caused by allergens such as dust or pollen.

Its a very common condition that more than 3 million Americans suffer from each year.

Hay fever is accompanied by many symptoms such as:

• Continuous sneezing
• Sore or scratchy throat

But why does it seem like hay fever worsens at night?

• Pollen: there is often an increase in the production of pollen in the evening and nighttime versus during the day. Pollen is among the most common causes of hay fever.

• Immune system: just as your body relaxes and resets at night, your immune system does too.

• Sleeping position: sleeping flat at night reduces the ability of your sinuses to drain, resulting in an increase of mucus buildup and symptoms making hay fever worse at night.

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Why Do Allergies Create Sleep Problems

Allergies cause problems in the nasal and sinus passages such as swelling, congestion, itching, and rawness. They can very much feel like viral infections at the beginning, but tend to come and go and can be relieved with allergy treatment.

Still, not all allergic reactions are created equal, and some of the heavier hitters can make it difficult to breathe during the day, and even more so at night.

How allergies affect sleep

Allergies create conditions that lead to sleep breathing issues. Lets face it: its hard to sleep when you cant breathe.

• Stuffy noses force the quintessential tossing and turning of allergy sufferers.

• Runny noses mean a box of tissues may take up residence on the bed for easy access.

• Post-nasal drip causes frequent throat clearing and coughing, all of which can interrupt the sleep of the person with the allergies or their bed partner.

• Side effects of allergy medications can also wreak havoc on sleep quality and efficiency.

A 2008 article in Primary Care Respiratory Journal points out what many Americans already know:

The negative impact on sleep quality and quantity, and consequently on various aspects of the patient’s life, is an under-recognized and under-treated component of

The ultimate takeaway is this: the same kind of broken sleep caused by allergies will lead to sleep deprivation if it happens night after night.

What about upper airway resistance?

Allergies And Sleep Apnea

When you have to wrestle with your allergies each night at bedtime, you may fitfully toss and turn and then wake up exhausted. It feels like you slept for maybe an hour or two. As you drag on with your day, bleary-eyed and dead tired, its easy to assume youre so exhausted because your stuffy nose, eye itchiness, and coughing kept you awake.

While that could be true, you could also be dealing with sleep apnea without even knowing it. Obstructive sleep apnea is a form of sleep apnea associated with allergies. The nasal symptoms of your allergies make you snore when you might regularly dont. The sound of your snoring, while very distracting to a partner, can even bother you, causing you to wake up again and again throughout the night.

The upper airway is obstructed with this sleep apnea, either somewhat or all the way. Since your airway cannot open, the lungs dont get as much air unless your chest muscles and diaphragm strain.

You can have obstructive sleep apnea and not even know it because youre barely aware of whats causing you to keep waking all night. Here are the other symptoms:

• Constant exhaustion that makes it hard to get out of bed
• A choking or gasping feeling that wakes you up, even several times a night
• Mood changes, depression, feeling forgetful, and difficulty with concentrating on tasks
• Morning headaches
• Sore throat and/or dry mouth in the morning

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Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Could anything else, such as a cold or the flu, be causing my symptoms?
• How do I figure out what Im allergic to?
• Is my allergy seasonal?
• I am allergic to _____. Am I at risk for any other allergies?
• What changes can I make at home to relieve my symptoms?
• Will any over-the counter medicines relieve my symptoms?
• What should I do if my symptoms get worse or dont respond to the treatment youve prescribed?
• Do I need to see an allergy specialist ?

How To Stop Allergies At Night: Managing The Symptoms Of Allergic Rhinitis

• Control pet allergens by keeping animals out of the bedroom: Ever find yourself wondering “why do I sneeze more at night?”. It could be because of your beloved pets. Keeping your furry friends out of the bedroom creates an allergen-free zone for you to spend time in before bed, and reduces exposure to your allergy triggers.
• Swap synthetic carpets for natural alternatives: 100% wool carpets or wooden floors are better, as they dont provide the humid environment that dust mites need to thrive.
• Cut down on cushions: Or replace synthetic inners with all-natural wool-filled alternatives. This makes sure that the dust mites and mould spores have one less place to hide.
• Choose hypoallergenic bedding for allergies:Wool-filled duvets and pillows all create a cool, dry environment where dust mites and mould spores cant survive. This means you can sleep on in comfort, confident that these allergens are being kept at bay. Better still, theres no need to wash at a high heat or freeze your bedding to get rid of pesky dust mites. Your wool bedding manages this process naturally.

Seeking a great nights sleep? Dont let your night-time allergy get you down. Discover more tips to tackle allergies at night, night sweats and more with our Sleep Health and Advice hub. Find our range of bedding for your night-time allergy online today.

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What Are Other Causes Of Allergy Symptoms In The Morning

Allergy symptoms in the morning arent only caused by allergens, though. Nonallergic rhinitis can also trigger morning allergy symptoms like congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and coughing.

Allergic rhinitis and nonallergic rhinitis cause similar symptoms. The difference is that nonallergic rhinitis doesnt involve the immune system. Rather, other irritants and factors trigger allergy-like symptoms. These factors include:

When Is Allergy Season

After a long and freezing winter, many of us are excited to hit the great outdoors without a jacket in sight. And just you wait until it comes time for the whole family to break out the shorts.

Enjoying spring weather before we have to bust out our summer AC can feel like a reward from Mother Nature for getting through the worst of winter. However, that gift can quickly become a curse if you are one of the many people who regularly experience seasonal allergies.

There are many saving graces during allergy season, though they might not seem particularly comforting at the moment.

First, there are effective and natural methods of relieving your symptoms . Next, the CDC estimates that up to 60 million people experience seasonal allergies in the U.S. alone. Misery loves company, and anyone who has to deal with seasonal allergies knows that they can certainly be miserable. Thankfully, were all in this together.

Lastly, know that even when you or your kids are little more than a puddle of tissues and eye drops, it will come to an end sooner or later. If your symptoms tend to ebb and flow with the coming and going of allergy season, you can expect the worst of it to end around July and the rest to diminish in the fall.

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What Are The Treatments For Allergic Rhinitis

The first and best option is to avoid contact with substances that trigger your nasal allergies . When prevention is not enough, consider using over-the-counter or prescription medicines:

• Antihistamines are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray. They can relieve sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes. They also reduce a runny nose and, to a lesser extent, nasal stuffiness.
• are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray or drops. They help shrink the lining of the nasal passages which relieves nasal stuffiness. These nose drops and sprays should be taken short-term.
• Nasal corticosteroids are used in nasal spray form. They reduce inflammation in the nose and block allergic reactions. They are the most effective medicine type for allergic rhinitis because they can reduce all symptoms, including nasal congestion. Nasal corticosteroids have few side effects.
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists block the action of important chemical messengers other than histamine that are involved in allergic reactions.
• Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that blocks the release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms, including histamine and leukotrienes. This medicine has few side effects, but you must take it four times a day.

Nasal allergy symptoms may disappear completely when the allergen is removed or after the allergy is treated. Talk to your pharmacist and health care provider about what is best for you.

Household Products And Cigarette Smoke

Exposure to cigarette smoke and certain household products has been linked to rhinitis symptoms, but the mechanism may not be due to allergic sensitization, unlike the allergens described above.

Try using unscented soaps and cleaning products, and ask smokers to smoke outside or near a window to reduce your exposure to these triggers.

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Allergy Sufferers Have Difficulty Sleeping Due To Allergy Symptoms

More than 50 million Americans alone suffer from allergies, making it one of the top leading causes of chronic illness in the US. If youre one of the many who suffer from allergies, you probably have noticed that you often feel the effects during the day and at night. In fact, you may have noticed that the symptoms of your allergies get worse right before you go to sleep. Luckily, youre not alone. In fact, around 90 percent of allergy sufferers have difficulty sleeping due to allergy symptoms.

Why does your body go haywire when it comes into contact with specific allergens? Essentially, an allergic reaction happens when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance like pollen, mold, pet dander, etc. Your body creates antibodies to deal with allergen as it views these substances as dangerous to your body, even though they arent. This leads to the common symptoms you experience such as:

You can find all of these allergens in your home or bedroom. Of course, some allergens will appear in higher frequency than others depending on your cleanliness and season. For example, seasonal allergies will be stronger during the spring and summer months. If you are allergic to cats and dogs, youll definitely have a reaction coming into contact with pet dander. Even if you dont have any pets, just coming into contact with a cat or dog outside or at someone elses place increases the likelihood of the pet fur or dander sticking to your clothes and ultimately triggering a reaction.