Allergies at night: can you sneeze in your sleep?
Allergy symptoms can be uncomfortable at the best of times – never mind when you’re trying to sleep.
However, if your runny nose or itchy eyes are keeping you up all night, there are a few things you can do to help keep your symptoms in check.
Read on to learn about how allergies impact sleep, and what causes night-time allergies. We’ll also cover how simple measures can help to prevent symptoms flaring up, and can hopefully allow you to enjoy a restful night’s sleep.
We’ll explore:
How do allergies impact sleep?
If you can't sleep because ofallergies, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that allergies and nasal congestion can cause people to wake during the night. They can also make it hard to fall asleep in the first place.
Can you sneeze in your sleep?
The body’s biological responses and mechanisms mean that sneezing cannot occur during sleep. However, if you suffer with allergies and are having difficulty to breathing, you may wake up.
If you are sneezing at night when you go to bed, it certainly can impact your ability to fall asleep. Sneezing can occur when people experience an allergic reaction, along with itching and other uncomfortable symptoms. This can then lead to a range of other breathing problems that may make it difficult to sleep.
Why are allergies worse at night?
Research has shown that lying down in bed can make our allergies worse during the night. That’s because when we lie down, the fluid in our nose and nasal passage can begin to drip down our throat. This can then result in coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing and other symptoms that can keep us awake at night.
What causes night allergies?
Night allergies occur when the body reacts to an allergen. Often, our bodies can mistake regular things such as pollen, dust or animal fur as a threat, and this can trigger an allergic reaction.
If you’ve noticed your allergy symptoms only happen at night, you may be allergic to something that’s prevalent in your bedroom. For example, dust mites are a common type of allergen found in bedroom spaces. They can live in your bedding and cause your allergies to play up during the night.
Additionally, if the humidity level in your bedroom is over 40%, mould can begin to grow on your carpet, curtains, bedding and furniture – which could then trigger an allergic reaction.
There are also a variety of other factors that could cause night allergies, such as pet dander if you have a cat or dog, and pollen if you’re leaving your windows open. It’s worth doing a test to determine the exact cause of the irritation.
If you suffer from hay fever, you may experience seasonal sleep disturbances between late March and September, when the pollen count tends to peak.
How to relieve allergies at night
The first step to managing your allergies is to find out your allergy triggers and limit your exposure to them.
Here are a few ways you can do this to help calm your allergies during the night:
Stop pets from going in the bedroom, to prevent pet dander from spreading to your pillows, duvet and blankets.
Vacuum your bedroom regularly, including your carpets and upholstery, to remove dust mites and pet dander.
Switch to hypoallergic pillows and bedding.
Keep your bedroom windows closed to prevent pollen from entering the space.
Lift your bedhead a few inches to help with nasal congestion.
Shower before bed to wash allergens away.
Change your bedding at least once a week.
Invest in an air purifier/HEPA to filter the air in your bedroom and clean the filter regularly.
Keeping flowers away from the bedroom.
Avoid drying your bed sheets and clothing outside, as they may catch pollen.
Treatment for night allergies
There are a few treatment options you can try to help with your night allergies. Examples include:
Saline nasal flushes. Using a device like a Neti pot, you pour a solution into one nostril and let it drain out of the other. This can help to relieve congestion, though the effects often don‘t last long.
Steroid nasal sprays. These help to stop your immune system from overreacting to allergens, and can help relieve allergy symptoms.
Antihistamines. A common option used to dry up runny noses and postnasal drips. Be sure to use as instructed.
Nasal decongestant sprays. Nasal spray decongestants can provide you with long-lasting relief.
BENADRYL® remedies for night-time relief
BENADRYL® products are designed to help soothe allergies and provide relief throughout the night:
Are allergy symptoms disrupting your sleep? Try BENADRYL® Allergy Reliefto treat symptoms and help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Are hay fever symptoms keeping you up? Try BENACORT® Nasal Sprayfor relief from nasal congestion, so you can try to get the rest you need.
BENADRYL® Allergy One a Day Tabletscan also help to soothe allergy symptoms throughout the night.
