If you have hay fever you probably have a love/hate relationship with summer. Yes, you enjoy being in the sun with your mates, but not when you’re sneezing a million times a day. You’d think that as the sun goes down, your hay fever symptoms would ease up – but unfortunately that’s not often the case.
In fact, hay fever symptoms can actually get worse at night. There are a few reasons why our allergies play up at night. During the day, hot air rises and carries pollen into home.
When the air cools, pollen falls back down and onto surfaces which can then trigger your hay fever symptoms even more.
Additionally laying down increases congestion. Additionally, dust mites and mould can trigger your hay fever symptoms. The current pollen bomb happening around the UK is so bad that just a few days ago, Brits sought advice from the NHS every three seconds.
So, how can we deal with our allergies at night? The sleep experts at Happy Beds share their top tips for coping with hay fever at night.
1. Keep your pets out of your bedroom
If you like sleeping with your furry little friend, I have bad news for you. Snoring may result from allergies and can be caused by flakes of skin that pets shed, which worsens respiratory problems.
2. Wash your hair before getting into bed
If you have allergies, you should shower before bed. Pollen likes to stick to your hair, so washing it before going to sleep will significantly reduce the likeliness of you having an itchy throat and experiencing symptoms of hay fever at night.
Washing your hair will allow you to get rid of a large amount of the pollen that’s been building up in your hair throughout the day and you are less likely to transfer this to your pillow and bedding.
3. Cover your bed with a thin sheet throughout the day
As you’ve probably guessed by now, pollen likes to creep in wherever it can. So, opening your windows is extending an invitation to the most unwelcome house guest of all.
By covering your bed with a thin sheet during the day, there’s no way for the pollen coming in to latch onto the fibres of your bed and ruin your sleep.
4. Sleep with your head slightly raised
Pollen allergies can cause your nasal passages to become inflamed and swollen, making it hard for you to breathe through your nose, so people are more likely to snore. Sleeping with an elevated head can decrease the amount of nasal congestion caused by allergies. Use an extra pillow to keep yourself propped up for a comfy night’s sleep.
5. Eat more garlic and chilli
Believe it or not, the type of food you eat can either contribute towards or help reduce your allergies. Sugary, starchy, and dairy products force the body to produce mucus, which in turn makes your symptoms worse - so avoid them before bed.
Foods that contain immune-boosting vitamin E, such as fish and egg, are a great help as they reduce the risk of upper respiratory infections. Spices such as ginger, chilli, and garlic are a natural remedy because they’re rich in vitamin C – which improves lung function. Alcohol is a no-go. Not only does it dehydrate, but it produces histamine in your body - the same chemical that an allergic reaction produces.
6. If snoring keeps you awake, repeat your vowels out loud
If hay fever has led to you snoring more, anti-snoring throat exercises are a great way to strengthen the muscles in your throat and stop them from vibrating as you sleep – the cause of snoring.
A few times a day, spend a few minutes repeating each of the vowels (a-e-i-o-u) out loud, and over time you’ll strengthen those all-important muscles.
7. Dust your bedroom furniture and vacuum it every two days
Keeping on top of cleaning your bedroom will help to keep allergies at bay, with carpets, bedding, and dust on surfaces contributing to snoring, sneezing, and other reactions to air pollutants.
8. Switch your bedding to a hypoallergenic version
This one’s a must. Dust mites thrive on the synthetic inners of your duvet and pillows, and pollen can easily get trapped here, triggering your hay fever.
As hypoallergenic bedding is wool-filled, the dry nature of the material means dust mites can’t survive in it - so you don’t have to be sharing a bed with the little sneeze demons!