When you want to sleep, trying to escape the mucus explosion that are allergies can drive you mad.
While you can drug yourself up to get through the night, that’s not a great idea if you a) will be getting less than 8 hours of sleep b) have to operate heavy machinery (including a car) c) will need to do it every night, etc. Here are some other ways to fight off the drips, sneezes, and (ugh) lumps:
Before going to bed, set the temperature. While most people sleep better in a cool room, too cold and you’ll trigger more mucus production. Cold air is less humid, so when you breathe it in, mucus is one of the ways your body moistens it for your lungs. It can also be an immune response to the chill (air has to be warmed for your lungs, too).
Consider skipping pillows. Being propped up might help things drain, but having your neck at an angle can impair breathing when your respiratory system is swollen from an allergic reaction.
Before bed, clear everything out. If you’re really stopped up, try a sinus flood, where you soak your sinus cavities to dislodge and flush out as much as possible. Otherwise, get practiced at doing a sinus rinse (never use tap water for either. Boiled then cooled water is ok).
Run a humidifier. Remember, dry air can lead to mucus production! But that humidity can also help to prevent solid, painful mucus formations.
Make sure you’re tired. Exercise boosts your immune system (which can help with allergies!) and will also help you sleep at night. Light-sleeping is the worst when you’re fighting allergies, and your immune system needs that deep, restful sleep to recharge. Follow other tips for insomniacs, too, like not drinking caffeine after lunch.
Have a light snack before bed, so you don’t get sick from any mucus you swallow.
Spend a day ridding your bedroom of allergens. Bedrooms tend to have a lot of linens, which translates to allergen traps. Vacuum or launder curtains and bedspreads, deep clean under your bed and dressers. If you don’t already have them, cover your pillows and mattress with special allergen covers. If you have bad allergies, I’d even go so far as lightly washing walls and ceilings (google “deep clean checklist” for more ideas).
And finally, support your immune system with colloidal silver. Allergies give your immune system a work-over, while simultaneously spreading germs and clogging things with mucus. If you feel bad while fighting allergies, you’ll feel worse fighting off an infection, too. Sinus infections are common for allergy sufferers, but pneumonia is a possibility, too.
What are your greatest allergy struggles?
