Colds, allergies, and individual characteristics can cause nasal congestion. How can you ensure a good night's sleep when a runny nose is bothering you?
During the day, you can regularly clear your nasal passages and use nasal drops. However, dealing with nasal congestion at night can be quite challenging. To avoid insomnia and lack of sleep, let’s consider several methods that can significantly alleviate the symptoms.
What Causes Nasal Congestion?
Nasal congestion is one of the first signs of a cold or upper respiratory infection. In such cases, it is important to see a doctor for appropriate treatment. However, some people experience difficulty breathing for months due to allergies. Reactions to dust, pet dander, tobacco smoke, as well as polluted air can develop into chronic allergies accompanied by sinus inflammation.
Additionally, common causes of a runny nose include physiological features such as a deviated septum, nasal polyps, dependence on decongestant sprays, and hormonal changes.
How to Alleviate Nasal Congestion at Night?
Use extra pillows. When experiencing nasal congestion, it is best to sleep on your back with your head elevated slightly higher than usual. Using multiple pillows will reduce blood flow to the head and ease breathing.
Install a humidifier in the bedroom. Air that is too dry can worsen nasal congestion. A humidifier will make the indoor atmosphere more comfortable, which will aid in the natural drainage of the sinuses. It is likely that fluid will stop accumulating in the nasal passages.
Rinse your nose with saline solution. Prolonged use of decongestant sprays is not recommended due to the risk of dependency, unlike saline solution. Sea water acts more gently but is no less effective. Rinse your nasal passages 2-3 times a day, especially before bedtime. This will help moisturize the mucosa and relieve irritation. If preventive measures do not yield results, try inhaler patches designed to ease breathing at night. Be sure to consult a specialist before use.
Stay hydrated. Increase your fluid intake throughout the day, and at night, brew chamomile tea or prepare chicken broth. This will help prevent your nose from drying out. Additionally, moisturized nasal passages will be easier to clear before bedtime. Keep in mind that alcoholic beverages do not count as fluids — it is better to avoid them, as alcohol dilates blood vessels and makes breathing more difficult.
Regularly change your bedding. Sometimes nasal congestion occurs when you go to bed, even though there were no issues during the day. In such cases, consider regularly changing your bedding (at least once a week). Clean and vacuum your mattress and pillows more often to ensure that there are no “triggers” — dust and dust mites — left in your bed.
